Communications: Case 2: Broadcast Illusion
by Geodex2
Summary: Journey into the lives of Kenneth Simmons and Stephanie Glass and what led up to the Color-Bars Incident of 1987. Songs: Broadcast Illusion and COLORBARS by GHOST. Regret by YoppyVU. Story by GHOST Written by Ghostdex2
1. Chapter 1: Coming Attractions

"Get him!" a bully shouted as he chased a young man through the woods. That bully was none other than Gabriel Raziquil, and the man he was chasing was none other than Kenneth Simmons. Three other boys were chasing Kenneth as he dodged left and right to avoid them. They were Patrick, Jodi, and Christopher. Each one was hoping to get a piece of Kenneth when Gabriel was done.

"There is no escape!" Pat shouted.

"You're a dead man!" Jodi yelled.

"You're fucked!" Chris shouted.

"I have you know!" Gabriel yelled as he jumped on top of Kenneth.

"Let go of me!" Kenneth pleaded as the two of them rolled around in the dirt.

"Ha! Looks like some kind of weird mating ceremony!" Jodi remarked. "Can I join in?"

Gabriel jumped off of Kenneth and got into a fighting stance. Kenneth just laid there on the ground. He tried to crawl away, but the other boys were blocking him.

"Take it like a man!" Gabriel stated.

"No," Kenneth cried.

Pat and Jodi held him down while Chris and Gabriel began to punch him. After a few blows, they began to kick him in unison. Kenneth tried to block as best as he could, but it was no use. It was only after they heard another voice is when they stopped.

"Hey! What the hell is going on?" the voice asked. An older man wearing nothing, but boxers and a white undershirt came out of the trees. It was none other than Gary Banners, Kenneth's step-father.

"What's going on here?" Gary asked again.

"Nothing," Gabriel replied as he restrained himself from hitting Kenneth again.

"You boys ganging up on Kenneth again?" Gary asked.

"What's it to ya?" Pat asked.

"I told you boys a million times that is not how you are supposed to do it! It has to be one on one! A fair fight!" Gary stated.

"Life isn't fair," Chris remarked.

"Well, in my life we play fair. You, Gabriel, stand over there, Kenneth, get up!" Gary ordered.

"But I don't want too!" Kenneth stated.

"You do what I say! Stop being such a sissy and get up!" Gary ordered.  
Kenneth stood up and faced Gabriel. Gabriel was ready to beat the living daylights out of Kenneth.

"When I say go, you two, fight!" Gary shouted. "GO!"

Gabriel lunged at Kenneth. Kenneth fell backwards just as Gabriel jumped on top of him and began punching him. Gary threw his arms in the air and shook his head. He let Gabriel punch Kenneth for a few minutes, and then he intervened.

"All right, that's enough. Get off him!" Gary stated as he yanked Gabe off Kenneth.

"Sissy!" Gabe remarked as Kenneth wiped the blood of his face.

"You! Get your skinny ass home!" Gary shouted as he grabbed Kenneth off the ground and began to drag him home.

At home, Gary ordered his stepson up to his room. Kenneth's mother, Carrie, came from the kitchen just as Gary was getting a beer.

"What's going on?" she asked as Gary took a sip of a cold one.

"Your idiot of a son was just fighting with some boys in the neighborhood," Gary replied.

"Is he okay?" Carrie asked.

"No, those neighborhoods boys kicked his ass!" Gary stated.

"…And did you do anything to stop it?" Carrie asked.

"No!" Gary stated. "The boy has to grow some balls. He's too much of a sissy!"

"Maybe you should teach him how to defend himself," Carrie replied. "After all, you were the heavy weight champion in college."

"Kenneth is unteachable! He prefers being girly than actually learning how to fight! He's hopeless!" Gary stated as he finished up the bottle.

"I still think you should spend some time with him," Carrie replied.

Gary let out a chuckle. "He's not my son, and he never will be."

Meanwhile, Kenneth was upstairs listening to every word they were saying. He went inside his room and began to cry. He looked up at the wall covered in drawings and placed his hand on one of them. It was a picture of a poorly drawn girl. She was wearing short denim blue jeans and a pale green shirt. Her hair was fuzzy and pink. A poorly scribbled out name was on the bottom of the picture. It read: **Kelly Ann Simmons**

It was the girl of Kenneth's dreams. However, it was not someone he wanted to date. It was someone he wanted to be. Ever since his father left him, he wanted to swap bodies with the girl. He felt he had more in common with being a girl than being a boy. Kenneth sat on the bed as he pulled out a knife. He placed it against his arm and began cutting himself. The old scars filled up with blood as tiny drops dripped onto the floor. Kenneth closed his eyes as he felt himself drift away. When he opened them again, the girl from the poorly drawn picture was standing in front of him.

"Took you long enough," Kenneth replied as he placed the knife down on the bed.

"Another bad day," the girl replied.

"What do you think, Kelly" Kenneth asked.

"What happened?" Kelly asked trying to comfort Kenneth.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kenneth replied as he placed a TV on his desk. He began tinkering with it when Kelly walked over to his side.

"Was it Gabe and his gang of bullies?" Kelly asked.

"I said I don't want to talk about it," Kenneth replied as he got back to work.

Kelly wrapped her arms around Kenneth and gave him a hug. "Don't worry about them," she replied. "They will all pay for what they did to you."

"Oh! They will!" Kenneth stated as he placed several wires through the TV. "This plan will succeed, and I will have my vengeance!"

"As long as you do it right," Kelly replied.

"I will do it right!" Kenneth stated. "These are my father's plans. He showed me how this works. I know what I am doing."

"You were a child when he showed you these plans. It was a long time ago. I just want to make sure you know what you are doing," Kelly replied.

"I know what I am doing!" Kenneth stated. "I am a Simmons! Fixing stuff is in our blood!"

"I know it is," Kelly replied with a smile. "That's why you're the only one qualified to do this. When do you think it is going to be ready?"

"Soon, I just need one more part," Kenneth replied.

"What is it?" Kelly asked.

"A power converter, and I know just where to get it," Kenneth replied.

"Where?" Kelly asked.

"I ordered one from Gas and Go. It should have come in today. I will go there and pick it up," Kenneth replied.

"Once we have it we will make them all pay!" Kelly stated.

"All of them!" Kenneth yelled just as he came to his bedroom door. He was interrupted by his step-father's voice, who was yelling from downstairs.

"Kenneth! Come downstairs! We're going to play baseball!" he shouted.

"I don't want to play that," Kenneth replied.

"It's not optional, it's an order! Get your ass down here! I am going to show you how to be a man!" Gary yelled.

"No, I don't want to play!" Kenneth stated.

"Kenneth! If you don't get your scrawny ass down here in the next five seconds, I'm going to use your head as baseball! Get down here you freak!" Gary yelled.

Kenneth did not listen. Instead, he went over to the window and climbed out. He ran down the road and headed straight for the Gas and Go. Inside there were two people, one was sitting behind the counter, the other was shopping for soda products. The man behind the counter was reading a newspaper. He had long hair and big colorful eyes that were shielded with a pair of spectacles. Kenneth's heart raced as he approached the counter. The man looked up and smiled at Kenneth.

"Hey, Kenneth, how are you doing?" he asked.

"Doing find Greg," Kenneth replied as a smile came over his face. "I am just here to pick up my package."

"Your package! Oh right! Your package! I have it right here," Greg replied as he handed Kenneth a big box. In addition, Greg handed him a rolled up joint. Kenneth smiled at this gift.

"Thanks, Greg," Kenneth replied.

"Your welcome," Greg replied. "Make sure your parents are not around when you smoke it. That stuff will knock the pants right off you!"

Kenneth imagined himself smoking the joint and his pants flying off. He also imagined Greg being in the same room as him. In his fantasy, both of them were enjoying the moment. His fantasy was interrupted when the customer came up to the counter with a purchase. She signed to Greg her order. When Kenneth looked, he saw that it was his good friend Stephanie Glass. He smiled at her and began to sign.

"Hi Steph! What are you doing here?" he signed.

"Oh! I am just here buying my favorite drink," Stephanie replied as she signed. She held up an orange soda can. It was the famous soda Moxie. "They don't make this stuff here. It had to be imported. Very rare this soda."

Kenneth was thinking of buying the drink, however, he looked over and saw Greg shaking his head. He immediately changed his mind.

"So, Steph, what are you doing this week?" Kenneth asked.

"Nothing much," Stephanie replied. "My parents want me to start applying to colleges and stuff."

"Oh! That's sounds nice," Kenneth replied. "Where do they want you to go?"

"I don't know? They are thinking about one in Colorado, but I am not really interested in that," Stephanie replied.

"Why not?" Kenneth signed.

"Because it's far. I will be away from family, friends, and of course you," Stephanie replied looking at Kenneth.

"Me?" Kenneth asked looking confused. "You know I am not interested in…uh…how do I put this? Girls…"

"Oh! I was not talking about you…I was talking about…Uh…this soda! Yes! This soda! They don't sell it Colorado. Yes, the soda! I will miss it!" Stephanie stated hoping that Kenneth would not catch on.

"Okay, whatever your taste is," he replied.

Greg shook his head as he approached the two of them. "Hey, look if you guys want to do something fun over the weekend. Then come to my party," he replied.

"What party?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

"What is she saying?" Greg asked.

"What party?" Kenneth asked.

"My party. It's going to be held in the park at midnight. There's going to be games, music, and beer lots and lots of beer. It's going to be fun!" Greg stated.

"Will there be Moxie?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

"I don't understand what you are saying," Greg replied.

"Will there be Moxie?" Kenneth asked tired of being an interpreter.

"Hell no!" Greg stated. "That stuff tastes like battery acid!"

"Aw!" Stephanie moaned as she realized her favorite drink would not be there. Kenneth smiled as he realized Greg would be there.

"What day is the party?" Kenneth asked.

"This Saturday," Greg replied. "I hope you both can be there."

"Oh! We'll all be there!" a voice shouted as someone came into the store. The three of them turned around and saw Gabriel and his gang inside the store.

"No! No! NO! You guys are not coming to the party!" Greg stated.

"Says who?" Pat asked. "You're not my mother!"

"Yeah! We can go wherever the fuck we want to go!" Chris stated.

"Hey, Kenneth, you coming?" Jodi asked.

"Maybe, why?" Kenneth asked.

"Because maybe we can you know have some alone time together!" Jodi stated as he spat in Kenneth's face. "Maybe I can show you how to be a real man!"

"You leave him alone!" Stephanie stated in sign language.

Gabriel then started throwing his hands all over the place. "Look at me! I Stephanie! I'm so dumb I never learned how to speak!" he mocked. Kenneth placed his hand in a fist and wanted to strike Gabriel in the face. Gabriel saw this and tried to get him to fight.

"What? You want to punch me? Come on! Do it!" Gabriel taunted.

"Not in the store!" Greg stated. "I just organized everything!"

Kenneth did not heed Greg's warning. He tried to punch Gabriel, but Gabriel dodged. He tripped Kenneth and he fell to the floor. The package Kenneth was holding fell out of his hand and into the hands of Pat Moya.

"What's this?" Pat asked as he held it above Kenneth's reach.

"Please! That is a very expensive piece of equipment!" Kenneth stated.

"It is! Well, here! You can have it back!" Pat shouted as he threw it to Chris. Chris caught it just as Greg tried to swipe it from his hand.

"Give it back!" Greg ordered.

"You want it! Take it from me then!" Chris yelled as he threw it to Jodi.

Stephanie jumped in the middle and swiped it from Jodi. Gabriel however tripped her and caught it himself. Kenneth saw this and charged at Gabriel. Jodi jumped on top of him and began to lick his neck.

"Come on Kenneth! Give in to your desires! You're homosexual just like me! Give in!" Jodi tempted. Kenneth then boxed Jodi on the ear and rolled him off of him. He charged at Gabriel who through the package back to Chris. Chris held the package and ran just as Stephanie chased him. She tried to take it from him, but Chris placed his hand up against her face and pushed her away. He then threw the package to Pat. Stephanie charged at Pat, but he blocked her with one punch to the face.

"That's right! I'm bad to the bone! I'm so bad I will punch anyone in the face!" Pat yelled.

Greg saw this and socked Patrick across the face. The package slid across the floor. Kenneth ignored the package and ran up to Stephanie to make sure she was okay.

"I'm fine," she signed. Just as Gabriel came up and took the package. He held above his head and dropped it to the floor, smashing it to bits. Chris, Jodi, and Pat began to kick the package across the floor as if it was a soccer ball. They did it until it was flatter than a pancake. Once they were satisfied, they began to leave the establishment one by one.

"We're going to that party tonight! If your there Kenneth, we will tear you to shreds!" Gabriel stated.

"We're going to mop the floor with you!" Pat remarked.

"Fuck all of you!" Chris shouted. "Fuck all of you!"

Jodi just turned to Kenneth and blew him a kiss. He then knocked over a display stand.

"I just organized that!" Greg shouted.

"What are we going to do with them?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

"Don't worry, I will make them pay," Kenneth replied. "I will make them pay!"

Kenneth walked over to the package and saw that it was smashed to bits. He was about to cry because then it hit him that the power converter costed a lot of money. He turned to Greg with a tear in his eye and asked him the unthinkable.

"Greg, please tell me you have another power converter," Kenneth replied.

"Kind of," Greg replied.

"Where is it?" Kenneth asked as he grabbed ahold of Greg's jacket.

"Management uses it to power the soda machine," Greg replied.

"Can I borrow it?" Kenneth asked.

"I can't just give you the power converter! We use it to keep the soda's fresh!" Greg stated. Kenneth got onto his knees and began begging. His eyes became huge as he begged Greg like a cat. Eventually Greg gave in.

"Oh man, if my boss finds out, I am going to get fired!" Greg stated as he unhooked the part from the soda machine.

"Oh! Thank you! Oh! Thank you! Oh! Thank you!" Kenneth shouted as he hugged Greg. He wanted to kiss him in the face, but Greg pulled back.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't mention it!" Greg stated. He looked over at the darken soda machine. "Now how am I going to keep the sodas cool?"

"Ice," Stephanie signed.

"I don't understand what you are saying!" Greg stated.

Kenneth walked out of the store and started heading home. The only thing on his mind was Greg Hoffman. He thought about his hair and how it flowed in the sunlight. He thought about his eyes and how they shinned like the moon on a cold night. He also thought about how kind Greg was in lending him the power converter. He could now use it to get back at the bullies. He could now have his revenge. Kelly Ann suddenly appeared in front of Kenneth. She looked overjoyed at what he had in his hand.

"You have it!" she shouted with glee.

"Yes, I was able to get it. It's on loan, so we can't break it," Kenneth replied.

"Who loaned it to you? Let me guess, it was none other than Greg Hoffman," Kelly replied.

Kenneth blushed at this. Kelly smiled as she realized what was really going on.

"It was Greg! Oh! What a darling! It was so nice that he did this for you. He truly must like you," Kelly replied.

"Oh! Stop it!" Kenneth stated. He started to think about Greg and he began to blush more. "You really think he likes me?"

"I don't know about that," Kelly replied. "He does care about you, and you two make a cute couple. Who knows? Maybe if he is pushed in the right direction he might fall in love with you."

"He is throwing a party tonight. He will be there. Maybe we can talk to him," Kenneth replied.

"That's a good idea. But wait! What about our plan to get revenge on those bullies?" Kelly asked.

"It can wait. I'll go to the party tonight and then tomorrow I will work on our special project," Kenneth replied.

Kelly nodded as she disappeared to the abyss of Kenneth's mind. Kenneth took the power converter and placed it in the garage. He then sneaked back into his room and took the TV out of it. He then placed it into the garage alone with several other TV's that were just sitting their collecting dust. Seeing all these TV's reminded Kenneth of his father. He remembered being with him while he did his rounds. They used to go around town fixing old TV's and old electronics. Kenneth learned everything from his father. He loved being with him, and he was heartbroken when his mother divorced him. Carrie Simmons refused to let the father see Kenneth as a way to punish him. He hated her for that. She took the one thing he loved away from him. He remembered the day as if it was yesterday:

"Get out!" Carrie shouted.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Kenneth's father asked as Kenneth clung to his leg.

"You are nothing to me! Get out!" Carrie shouted.

"Is it because you found someone else to love you?" the father asked. "Is it your old boyfriend the boxer? Is it?"

"GET OUT!" Carrie shouted as she threw his clothes out onto the driveway.

"That Banners has nothing on me! He's kind of a downgrade don't you think? He has no job and he drinks beer at all hours of the day! Why would you choose him over me?" the father asked.

Carrie did not answer. She just pointed to the door. The father walked out with Kenneth still clinging to his legs. Carrie grabbed Kenneth by the arm and yanked him off. She brought him back inside. She then turned to the father, who was busy picking up all of his clothes, and began to speak again.

"I don't want to see you here ever again," she replied.

"But what about Kenneth?" the father asked. "Can I visit our son?"

Carrie pointed to the road. "If you come here again, I will call the police, and have you arrested."

The father turned his head to the road and began to walk away. He turned back and glared at Carrie. "You know, if you said you were sorry I would have forgave you. Our marriage wasn't perfect, but I would never cheat on you. Just tell Kenneth that it was your fault the marriage ended not mine."

With that, Kenneth saw his father walk away, and he never saw him again. This made him resent his mother. After the father left, both Gary Banner and Carrie Simmons blamed Kenneth for the divorce. They claimed it was because of him being a freak that his father had left him and wanted nothing to do with him. Kenneth knew the truth. He knew what his mother and step-father had done. He hated them for this. He wanted revenge and he craved it like a vampire craving blood. He took a deep breath as he remembered the party. He then went up to his room and got dressed for the event. He waited for his parents to fall asleep, and then he sneaked out of the house and went over to the park.

It was midnight when the party began. Every teenager who was in the neighborhood was there. They were laughing, partying, and drinking the night away. Kenneth arrived fifteen minutes late. He walked up to the park and saw Greg there smoking a marijuana joint. He took a deep breath as he walked right up to Greg.

"Hey Greg," he replied as thoughts all rushed into his mind. _Stay calm, stay calm, you can do this._

"Oh! Hey, Kenneth, like the party?" Greg asked getting very high.

"It's really good," Kenneth replied.

"Come over here, there is beer. Lots and lots of beer! Enjoy!" Greg stated.

"I'm not here to drink, Greg, there is something I want to tell you," Kenneth replied as he placed his hand on Greg's chest.

Greg's saw where this was going. He frantically looked around the park for a familiar face. He was one in Stephanie Glass.

"Hey! Look!" Greg stated. "It's Stephanie Glass! Why don't you talk to her for a while?"

"But Greg, I want to talk to you," Kenneth replied.

"Busy! Hosting party and stuff! Talk to Stephanie!" Greg shouted as he ran away. Stephanie approached Kenneth and began signing with him.

"How is it going?" she asked through her signs.

"Really good," he signed back.

"Liking that party?" she asked.

"It's okay," Kenneth replied. "I don't know anyone here besides you and Greg."

"Kenneth, you know these people, they used to go to your school," Stephanie replied.

"Yeah, I remember them. These guys are all responsible for those evil pranks they played on me," Kenneth replied. "We are not really close."

Stephanie looked around and saw she was in an area of unfriendly faces. She then took Kenneth by the arm and gave him a sign. "Do you want to go somewhere private?"

"Why not," Kenneth replied knowing he had nothing to lose.

Stephanie took him to another part of the park where it was more quiet. Stephanie hoped to talk about her feelings to Kenneth. Stephanie talked about how graduation went and how her parents had signed her up for several prominent colleges. She talked about how Greg was accepted in a community college, and how it was important to get an education.

"What about you, Kenneth? What's your plans for life?" Stephanie asked.

"I don't have any plans," Kenneth replied.

"What do you mean you don't have any plans?" Stephanie asked. "Everyone has plans, what are yours?"

"I wanted to go to college," Kenneth replied.

"Then why don't you?" Stephanie asked.

"My step-father spent my college tuition in a poker night. I saved for five years, not buying any candy or toys, and in an hour my step-father, Greg Banners spends all of my money! That fucker!" Kenneth stated.

Stephanie placed her arm around Kenneth's shoulder and tried to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, Kenneth," she signed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You don't happen to have ten thousand dollars lying around, do you?" Kenneth asked.

"No," Stephanie replied.

"Then there is nothing you can do to help. I'll just take over Greg's job when he's at community college," Kenneth replied.

"What about community college?" Stephanie replied. "It's more affordable."

"I won't fit in!" Kenneth stated. "I'm homosexual and a freak!"

"You're not a freak, Kenneth, you're my friend," Stephanie replied.

"Will that get me through life? No, it won't," Kenneth replied.

"It can," Stephanie replied. "You know I will always be there for you. I was there for you in high school and I am here for you now. If you ever need my help, I will be there for you."

"Thanks, maybe our friendship is good enough," Kenneth replied.

 _Friendship…ahhh…friendship…. I wish it could be more. He was so alone in high school. He just wanted one friend. I really wish we could be more than just friends. I can only wish…_ Stephanie thought to herself.

"Stephanie, can I ask you a personal question?" Kenneth asked.

"Sure, anything," Stephanie replied.

"Do you think Greg likes me?" Kenneth asked.

Stephanie looked over at Greg and saw that he was hanging out with several girls. "I don't think you're his type," she replied.

"I didn't think so," Kenneth replied. "He's just to straight for me. Maybe I can somehow change him to fall in love with me. Do you think it is possible?"

"Anything is possible," Stephanie replied. "A straight man can become homosexual, and maybe a homosexual man can become straight."

"It's not going to happen Stephanie," Kenneth replied.

"What's not going to happen?" Stephanie asked trying to look innocent.

"Us," Kenneth replied. "We're not a couple and we never will be."

"Why not?" Stephanie asked.

"I don't like you like you," Kenneth replied. "I just like you. We're good as friends and I want to stay that way."

"You don't want to go out with me?" Stephanie asked.

"No," Kenneth replied. "I am happy the way I am, and I am not going to change."

Stephanie looked at Kenneth and she knew he was not happy with himself. He had scars all up his arms. He had parents who did not care about what happens to their son, and he had four bullies constantly using him as a punching bag. Stephanie knew as soon as Greg and her go off to college, Kenneth would be all alone. There would be no one protecting him. With all that was going on in his life, Stephanie was unsure if he would survive.

"What are you going to do with yourself when Greg and I are gone?" Stephanie asked.

"I'm going to get rid of those bullies," Kenneth replied.

"How?" Stephanie asked.

"Kelly Ann showed me a way," Kenneth replied.

This was another reason Kenneth had no friends. He was always talking to his imaginary friend Kelly Ann. It was cute when he was in middle school. Now, he was eighteen years old, and it looked very weird. Whenever, Kenneth started whispering to himself, Stephanie got worried because Kenneth truly believed that Kelly Ann was a real person when in fact she was not.

"What did Kelly Ann say to you?" Stephanie asked.

"I can't tell you, that will be spoiling it," Kenneth replied.

"Spoiling what?" Stephanie asked.

"My plan for vengeance! It will be glorious!" Kenneth stated. "Kelly Ann told me it would."

"I'm worried about you, Kenneth," Stephanie replied.

"Why?" Kenneth asked.

"Kelly Ann, she's not real. She was an imaginary friend you cooked up in middle school. When you had no friends. Now you have Greg and I, you don't need her anymore," Stephanie replied.

"I do need her! You two are leaving and I am staying here! I need her! She is my friend and she is real!" Kenneth stated.

"Kenneth," Stephanie replied.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," he remarked.

"But Kenneth…" Stephanie replied.

"I said I don't want to talk about it anymore!" he shouted.

His voice echoed across the party and caught the attention of some unwanted guests.

"Did you hear that?" Gabriel asked his friends as they crashed the party.

"Hear what?" Pat asked as he looked around the park.

"I didn't hear anything!" Jodi stated angrily.

"What's biting you in the ass?" Chris asked.

"I was supposed to go out on a date with my boyfriend! Instead I am at this stupid boring party!" Jodi stated angrily.

Gabriel looked over to the side and spotted Kenneth Simmons talking to Stephanie Glass. An evil smile came across his face as he pointed at the couple.

"It looks like things are about to get interesting," Gabriel replied. The four boys approached Kenneth. Kenneth tried to stand up, but Pat pushed him back into his seat.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Gabriel asked.

"Three times in a row! Wow! This must be a new record!" Pat stated with glee.

"Get your hands off me!" Kenneth shouted as he tried to pull away.

"Hey! Sit down!" Pat ordered as he pushed Kenneth. Kenneth bounced back and pushed Pat. The two began shoving each other until Stephanie stepped in.

"Cut it out you two!" she yelled in a strange sounding voice. It sounded as if a harmonica was pushed between gears.

"Aw! You need your girlfriend to save you?" Gabriel asked as he grabbed Kenneth by the shirt.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Kenneth stated as he pushed Gabriel away.

"Ha! Her voice sounds funny!" Chris mocked.

"Yeah! She sounds like an elephant! Make more sounds with your big nose!" Pat yelled.

"Leave her alone!" Kenneth ordered.

"…Or what? What are you going to do?" Gabriel asked.

Kenneth's rage was building up inside of him. He couldn't hold it in anymore. He lunged at Gabriel with his fist. This time, Gabriel did not see it coming. The fist struck Gabriel and knocked him to the floor. Jodi picked Gabe up and stared at Kenneth.

"Oh, this is where the fun begins!" he stated. "Kicking your ass is way more fun than fucking my boyfriend!"

Kenneth got up and was about to strike again when Greg got into the middle of the fight. He was high as a bird when it joined in, so he wasn't in a helping mood.

"What the heck is going on?" he asked trying not to fall over.

"I told you if Kenneth was at the party I would tear him to shreds!" Gabriel stated. "Now, I am going to do it!"

"Come on man," Greg replied. "You already fought Kenneth today twice. Can't was just take a few steps back and breathe? Why can't we just have one night in which we can party and not have to worry about fighting? Can we just get back to having fun? Can we huh?"

"No! Kenneth and his girlfriend are dead! We're going to kick his ass and then his girlfriend's ass! No one is going to stop us! Not even you!" Gabriel stated. "Who is with me?"

"I am!" Pat shouted.

"Same here!" Jodi yelled.

"They're dead!" Chris echoed as the crowd gathered round.

Everyone in the group began hurling garbage at both Kenneth and Stephanie. Each one was yelling insults and smearing trash over the two of them. Greg looked at them and then back at the group. He placed his hands on Gabriel's shoulders and began speaking.

"Well then, if we can't resolve this peacefully then I have one thing to say!" He then proceeded to punch Gabriel in the face. He fell backward into his gang of friends. Greg turned and faced Kenneth. "RUN!" he shouted as Pat and Chris jumped on top of him.

In a matter of minutes, a rowdy crowd broke out among the partiers. Kenneth turned and grabbed Stephanie by her jacket and motioned her to run. The two of them ran away as Greg was constantly assaulted by punches from Gabriel's gang. Kenneth and Stephanie escaped into the woods to avoid the brawl. The two of them ran far and then when they think they escaped the mayhem, hid in the blueberry bushes so that no one would find them.

"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked as she signed to Kenneth.

"Never been better," Kenneth replied as he scoped the area.

"I can't believe you punched Gabriel!" Stephanie stated. "I mean, know one has ever done that!"

"I know! I am still in shock!" Kenneth yelled. "Oh! He is going to kill me!"

"He is going to kill us both," Stephanie replied.

"You don't have to do this," Kenneth replied. "You go, and I will handle Gabriel myself."

"You are not going to face Gabe by yourself. We're in this together. Through whatever, we stick together," Stephanie replied.

Kenneth smiled at this as he heard voices in the woods. He looked up and saw Gabriel and his gang approaching. Kenneth ducked as his mind race.

"So, what's the plan?" Stephanie asked.

"We need to split them up," Kenneth signed.

"How?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

"We split up," Kenneth replied. "You go one way and I will go the other. We divide their forces and then we can take them."

"Are you sure that is a good idea?" Stephanie asked.

"Have any better ones?" Kenneth asked.

Stephanie shook her head. "Well, then we're doing this one!" Kenneth stated as he stood up.

"HEY! I'M OVER HERE!" he shouted.

"It's Kenneth! GET HIM!" Gabriel ordered. The four of them began to chase Kenneth. When Stephanie saw that they were about to disappear into the woods, she stood up and threw a rock at them. It struck Patrick in the back. She waved at him as she ran into the woods.

"Hey, it's his girlfriend! Let's get her!" Pat yelled. Pat and Chris followed Stephanie while Gabriel and Jodi went after Kenneth. Kenneth ran down the road breaking branches and tripping over leaves until he came to a spot with a hole in the ground. It was a storm drain. He climbed down the drain as the bullies ran by. He placed a lid over it, so the bullies would not see him.

"Where did he go?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't know," Jodi replied.

"Uh! This way! Follow me!" Gabriel shouted as he pointed in one direction.

The two boys headed off in the direction while Kenneth made his way through the storm drain. Meanwhile, Stephanie was being chased by the other two boys. She came to a part of the woods she was unfamiliar with. It was dark, and she could not hear which way to go. Using her judgement, she picked a random path and just took off, hoping the bullies would not follow her. Pat and Chris were on her trail, however because it was dark, they could not see where to go.

"What do we do?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Pat replied. He listened closely, and he heard noise in two directions. One was the rustling of bushes; the other was the sound of metal clanging.

"What do we do?" Chris asked again.

"Split up!" Pat shouted. Chris followed the sound of rustling bushes while Pat was on the trail of the metal clanging. It was not long until he came by a storm drain. He peaked inside to see if he could see anything. It was pitch black. He took a sniff of the air, and discovered that it smelled of methane gas. With a smirk, he pulled out a lighter and a can of hair spray. He began walking down the drain with both of those in hand.

"Kenneth, Stephanie, I know you are both in here," he replied as he held them up in front of his face. "Come out wherever you are."

As he walked down the tunnel, the clanging sound became louder and louder. He placed the objects in a row. He fired the hair spray in front of him, and then he did something unthinkable. He ignited the lighter, which ignited the hairspray, which ignited the methane. The explosion was loud. All both Kenneth and Pat saw was a flaming fireball, and then darkness. The explosion was so loud, people on the surface heard it.

"What was that?" Jodi asked.

"It came from underground," Gabriel replied. The two of them ran to the nearest storm drain. They did not know what to expect coming out of it. They opened the drain and saw Kenneth being shoved out of it. Pat was right behind him.

"What happened?" Jodi asked as he helped pull Kenneth out.

"He tried to escape in a fireball," Pat replied. "But I was able to stop him."

"Good work," Gabriel replied as he looked down at Kenneth. He smiled as he kicked him in the chest. "Look at pour Kenneth here. To weak to fight back!"

"Come on sissy boy! Strike us back! Fight!" Pat shouted.

"Let me out him! I'll make a man out of him yet!" Jodi stated.

Each of the three bullies took turns in kicking Kenneth. They looked as if they were in a biker gang and they were initiating a new member. However, they were not. Instead, they were ganging up on a poor defenseless young man. Kenneth looked up at his attackers and began to cry.

"Stop!" he begged hoping that they would show mercy on him. All three bullies laughed.

"You want us to stop? Sissy boy!" Pat shouted.

"What? I thought you liked it rough!" Jodi stated.

"Can't take the pain?" Pat asked. "I guess your not a real man!"

"He's not a real man and he never will be!" Jodi stated.

Gabriel got down on his knees and began to bash Kenneth's skull in. He then placed his hand on his head and shoved it into the dirt.

"Now look here, Jodi is like you. He is a freak just like you," Gabriel replied.

"Hey!" Jody interrupted.

"By the power invested in me, I will make you two fall in love with each other. He has a gift for you. A special gift that two boyfriends could give each other. You're going to accepted it like a man? Okay?" Gabriel asked.

"Fuck you!" Kenneth shouted.

"You'd do me? Sorry, I'm not a freak! Guess we have to go back to kicking his ass!" Gabriel stated.

The barrage of attacks began again, and they would have continued if a voice did not interrupt them.

"What's going on here?" a voice shouted from the woods. All four boys turned around and saw Gary Banners standing behind them. He was still in his boxers and undershirt, and he was not pleased. "I say again! What's going on here?"

"Nothing Gary," Pat replied.

"Kenneth, what are you doing?" Gary asked.

"Help me," he moaned.

"Help you? Help you! You were the one who decided to sneak out of the house. Do you know how worried your mother is? I can't believe your out here fighting again! I can't believe your loosing again! Why can't you do anything right?" Gary asked.

"Please help me," he moaned as he kneeled in front of his step-father.

"No! Not anymore! I bailed you out enough times! You're on your own pal!" Gary stated.

"But Gary," Kenneth moaned.

"I'm not going to help you!" Gary stated.

"Then fuck you!" Kenneth yelled.

Gary slapped him across the face and began to kick him.

"Don't you talk back to me! I am your step-father!" he shouted.

The bullies continued to attack Kenneth, but this time Gary Banners assisted in hurting Kenneth. The continued to punch and kick him. Pat and Jodi held Kenneth by the arms while Gary and Gabriel used him like a punching bag. They continued their attack for the next twenty minutes until Kenneth was all bloody and bruised that he could hardly stand.

"Ah! Today was a good day!" Gabriel remarked as he stood over a motionless Kenneth.

"Now what?" Jodi asked. "He's all bloody and bruised. What are we going to do about this?"

"I'll just ground him for the next two weeks. Should have plenty of time to heal up by then," Gary replied.

"Then we can attack him again!" Gabriel remarked.

"Hey, lighten up your attacks on him. I know he is a freak, but three attacks in one day? Come on! Even I know that's overkill," Gary replied.

"Hey! Kenneth is a freak and he disserves this type of treatment. First, the homosexuality, and then the talking to an imaginary friend. Come on! You don't think he disserves more?" Gabriel asked.

"I live with his mother," Gary replied. "He has to come home alive."

"Well, then toughen him up! Make him a man!" Gabriel stated.

"Just lighten up your attacks," Gary replied.

"Fine!" Gabriel stated as he rolled his eyes.

"Good!" Gary stated as he walked over to an unconscious Kenneth.

The three bullies laughed as they all high fived each other and started to walk home. Gary picked up his step-son and began to drag him home.

"You're not a man Kenneth," Gary remarked. "You're not a man and you will never be."

Kenneth closed his eyes as he was dragged back to his house. Meanwhile, Stephanie Glass was still on the run. She believed she had lost the bullies, but she could not tell for sure. She just kept running until she placed enough distance between herself and Gabriel's gang. She broke branches and tripped over leaves just to get away. Everything around her was silent and dark. It was like she was running down a never-ending tunnel, not hearing anything or seeing anything.

Things started to change when she came to a metal gate. She climbed over it and started to run again. However, she got no more than two feet when she stopped in her tracks. She used her hands and waved them around in front of her. She felt no trees. She stomped her feet and felt nothing but hard ground. There were no leaves. She walked around in a circle and felt nothing.

 _Where am I?_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly, a light flashed on. She turned around and saw a tractor trailer heading straight for her. She looked around and saw that the metal gate was a guard rail, and that she had climbed into the road. The tractor trailer was honking telling her to move, but because she was deaf, she could not hear it. It was too late to get out of the way. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact of the trailer.

That's when someone out of nowhere jumped in front of her and pushed her out of the way. It was a matter of seconds before impact. The two of them rolled in the dirt as the tractor trailer roared by. Stephanie recovered her thoughts as she believed it was Kenneth Simmons who saved her. When she looked up, she saw that it was not Kenneth who saved her, but Chris. The bully who was chasing her.

"Why the fuck were you in the road?" he asked her as he dusted himself off.

"Chris, you saved me?" Stephanie asked as she signed him.

"Duh!" Chris remarked as he began to walk away.

"Why did you save me?" Stephanie asked.

Chris did not answer, but continued to walk away.

"Why did you save me?" Stephanie asked again.

"Get lost!" Chris ordered.

"You're a bully who doesn't care if Kenneth or me lives or dies! Why did you just risk your life to same me?" Stephanie asked.

Chris was getting really annoyed with Stephanie's interrogation. He looked back at her angrily and pointed to the woods.

"Stop asking me the same question! Go away!" Chris shouted.

"Not until I know why you saved me," Stephanie replied.

Chris signed back at Stephanie, "If you don't get out of my presence I will beat the crap out of you!"

"But…" Stephanie replied.

"LEAVE!" Chris shouted hoping that she would understand.

Chris walked away leaving Stephanie confused. She then looked up and realized something that she had not noticed before.

"Wait! When did you learn sign-language?" Stephanie asked as she ran after Chris.

Meanwhile, Gary dragged Kenneth all the way back to his house. His mother was sitting in the kitchen worried about the two of them. When Gary walked in with Kenneth, she was shocked to see him bloody and bruised. She ran up to him to examine what happened to her son.

"What happened?" she asked.

"He was fighting again," Gary replied.

"What did those boys do to him?" Carrie asked as she looked at her son's face.

"They beat him! Carrie! They beat him!" Gary stated as he walked over to the refrigerator.

"What are you doing?" Carrie asked.

"Having a beer," Gary replied as he took a sip of a cold one.

"Why did they do this to you?" Carrie asked Kenneth. He tried to answer but couldn't.

"He was at a party," Gary replied. "Drinking and doing drugs."

"You were doing drugs! I told you to stay away from that!" Carrie shouted as she punched Kenneth on his arm.

"It's nothing," he replied.

"Was it Greg? Did he give that to you? I told you to stay away from him!" Carrie shouted.

"It wasn't him," Kenneth stated.

"It was him!" Gary remarked.

"Shut up!" Kenneth shouted.

His mother then slapped him across the face. "Don't you dare raise your voice at us! You are not supposed to be sneaking out, you're not supposed to be partying, and you're not supposed to be doing drugs!"

"But I wasn't though!" Kenneth shouted.

"Don't lie!" Gary shouted.

"I'm not lying! You weren't even at the party!" Kenneth stated.

"I saw what you did!" Gary stated. "We have rules and for some dumb reason you think it is a good idea to break them. What's the matter with you Kenneth? Why do you like to act out?"

"I don't like to act out," Kenneth replied.

"You do act out!" Gary stated. "Every day I have to bail you out of a fight! The fighting is hurting your mother and I! Look at her, she's worried about you Kenneth!"

"She doesn't have to worry about me? I'm fine," Kenneth replied.

"You're bleeding! You're not fine!" Gary stated.

"I'm bleeding because you punched me," Kenneth remarked under his breath.

"What was that?" Gary asked.

"Nothing," Kenneth replied.

"Oh, it was something. It kind of sounded like disrespect!" Gary stated.

"I wasn't disrespecting you," Kenneth replied. "I'm just saying you don't need to worry about me."

"I do have to worry about you," Gary replied. "I am a father figure after all."

"You're not my father," Kenneth mumbled.

"What's that? I couldn't here you," Gary replied.

"I said your not my father," Kenneth whispered.

"What's that?" Gary asked. "I still can't here you. Speak up!"

"I SAID YOUR NOT MY FATHER!" Kenneth shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER AND YOU WILL NEVER BE HIM!"

"Kenneth, lower your voice!" His mother ordered.

"NO! I am sick of taking orders from both of you! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of it! I'M SICK OF IT! I HATE YOU BOTH!" Kenneth shouted.

His mother slapped him in the face again. "Go to your room! You are forbidden to hang out with Greg or do anything you like to do for the next month!"

Kenneth gridded his teeth and then ran upstairs into his room. Carrie looked over at Gary, who was just lightly sipping a beer.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" she asked.

"No, nothing, it was just those bullies," Gary replied.

"That boy!" Carrie stated. "What am I going to do with him?"

"I don't know," Gary replied. "I just don't know."

Kenneth ran upstairs and locked himself in his room. He then picked up his knife and began cutting himself again. He did it until both of his arms were bleeding. This is when his imaginary friend Kelly Ann appeared.

"So, how did it go?" she asked.

Kenneth looked at her all bloody and dirty. She gasped at the look of his appearance.

"How do you think it went?" Kenneth asked looking down at his blood-soaked bed.

"Who did this to you?" Kelly Ann asked as she examined the wounds of Kenneth.

"They all did this to me!" Kenneth stated.

"Can you be a little more specific?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Gabriel! Jodi! Gary! My mother! All of them!" Kenneth shouted as he began to cry. He laid down in Kelly Ann's lap and sobbed himself away. Kelly Ann was there to comfort him through all the pain and suffering.

"There, there, it will all be okay, they will pay for what they did to you," Kelly Ann replied.

"Yes! They will! When we initiate are plan!" Kenneth stated.

"We're almost done Kenneth. All we have to do is put it together. Then and only then will we have our revenge," Kelly Ann replied.

"Yes, they will pay for what they did to me…what they did to us!" Kenneth stated.

"All of them: Gary, Carrie, Gabriel, Chris, Pat, Jodi, Greg, and Stephanie! They will all pay!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Wait! Not Greg and Stephanie! They're my friends!" Kenneth stated.

"Who abandoned you in your most vulnerable time," Kelly Ann replied.

"They did not abandon me," Kenneth replied.

"Where are they then? Why did they not help you fight off the bullies?" Kelly Ann asked.

"They did help fight them off! Greg helped us escape the party while Stephanie lured two of the bullies away," Kenneth replied.

"…And how many people attacked you?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Three bullies and Gary," Kenneth replied.

"…And how many people were at the party?" Kelly Ann asked.

"About forty people," Kenneth replied.

"…And none of them stood up for you. Don't you see Kenneth? You're alone in the world. The only people that have your back is you and yourself. No one else is going to help you. Sure, Stephanie and Greg are with you now, but they too will disappoint you. They will let you down and shame you. It's only a matter of time," Kelly Ann replied.

"That's not true! They will stick with me forever! We're friends!" Kenneth stated.

"For how long?" Kelly Ann asked.

"I knew Greg ever since we were in preschool together, and I knew Stephanie since the eighth grade! We will be friends forever right until the end!" Kenneth stated.

"Only time will tell," Kelly Ann replied.

"Forget Greg and Stephanie! Right now, I want vengeance on all the rest of my enemies," Kenneth replied.

"That is what Colorbars is for," Kelly Ann replied.

"What will happen when it is placed together?" Kenneth asked.

"You will be able to highjack any broadcast you like. You will be able to use it to mind control all the people that wronged you. When they flip the TV on they will see your face and fall under your control. With Colorbars, you will be able to control people, electronics, and even vehicles with a flip of a switch," Kelly Ann replied.

"Really? With a flip of a switch I will be able to control everyone?" Kenneth asked.

"As long as they are on the right frequency, then yes, you will be able to control everyone," Kelly Ann replied.

"Why are you helping me?" Kenneth asked.

"Because I too suffered from what your enemies have done. They did this to both of us, and they disserve nothing but pain and suffering," Kelly Ann replied.

"What did they do to you?" Kenneth asked.

"Something evil," Kelly Ann replied. "Let's just say whatever they did to me, we will return ten-fold!"

"Yeah! We will!" Kenneth stated enthusiastically. "Let's get started."

Kenneth and Kelly Ann began preparation in their diabolical scheme. They had all the necessary parts. All they had to do is construct it into one big system. Kenneth was happy to construct Colorbars for he knew it was going to solve all of his problems. He smiled as he thought of all the ways he could hurt the ones who have hurt him. Finally, no one will ever stand in his way again. He would have his vengeance on all of them. It was only a matter of time.


	2. Chapter 2: COLORBARS

Kenneth was busy working inside the garage. He was placing several TV's together and running wires out of all of them. He rigged the system together, hoping that it would spark life. Gary and Carrie watched from the house curious on what their son was doing.

"What is that boy up too?" Gary asked as he took a sip of beer.

"He's cleaning the garage out," Carrie replied. "Since I grounded him for the month, he now has plenty of time on his hand."

"Why do we have so many TV's?" Gary asked.

"There from my husband's old business. He used to fix TV's and stuff. He used to store them in the garage," Carrie replied.

"Why haven't we thrown them out?" Gary asked.

"Because Kenneth still has a thing for his father. He won't throw them out," Carrie replied.

"We'll see about that," Gary remarked as he headed outside.

Kenneth was busy taking the electric tubes out of the back of a TV when Gary came up and surprised him.

"What are you doing?" Gary asked.

"Taking care of these TV's," Kenneth replied.

"Are you going to throw them out?" Gary asked.

"Of course not," Kenneth replied.

"Why not?" Gary asked.

"Because these TV's still work. I could tune them up and sell them for a profit. Then I will give you guys the money, so you can spend it on beer and snacks and stuff," Kenneth replied.

"Oh," Gary replied as he realized that it was a good idea. "Well, you do that then. Remember, you're still grounded."

"I know," Kenneth replied as Gary walked back inside the house.

Kelly Ann then appeared right behind Kenneth and whispered something in his ear. "We're not really selling the TV's, are we?"

"Of course not," Kenneth replied. "It's just a ruse until I can finish Colorbars. As long as he thinks were selling the TV's for profit, Gary will let me keep them."

"That is such a good idea. You're so smart, Kenneth," Kelly Ann replied.

Inside the house, Gary and Carrie were watching Kenneth talk to himself.

"What's he doing?" Gary asked.

"Talking to himself again," Carrie replied.

"Why does he do that? He's an eighteen-year-old boy. He shouldn't be doing that!" Gary stated.

"It's his condition," Carrie replied.

"What condition?" Gary asked.

"He has tetrachromacy. It causes Kenneth to see extra colors. To Kenneth, things that aren't really there are really there for him. He can see things that we cannot see. It's a world that only exists in his mind," Carrie explained.

"Oh! So, he's more a freak than usual," Gary replied.

"He's not that big of a freak!" Carrie stated.

"A condition, Carrie? A condition? Kenneth does not have a condition! It's just him being a freak!" Gary stated.

"He was diagnosed with this as a baby," Carrie replied. "It's something real!"

"It's not real. It's just a ploy that doctors use to get you to pay more money. Tetrachromacy is not a real disease. It's just something made up." Gary remarked.

"It's not made up, Gary, it's real," Carrie replied.

"Is there a cure for it?" Gary asked.

"No," Carrie replied. "Not that I know of."

"Well, I am going to cure Kenneth of his tetrachromacy right now!" Gary stated as he opened the window. "Hey Kenneth! Stop talking to yourself and finish cleaning up the garage! If I catch you talking to that dumb imaginary friend of yours, I will knock you across the globe! Understand?"

"Got it," Kenneth grunted.

"Attitude!" Gary stated. "I want a happy attitude!"

Kenneth smiled as he rolled his eyes. He kept working on the TV. _A few more hours. A few more hours. A few more hours._ Kenneth thought to himself as Greg Hoffman approached the Simmons residence.

"Hey, Kenneth," he replied.

"Greg!" Kenneth stated as he threw his arms around him in a hug.

"Uh! Kenneth, why are you hugging me?" Greg asked.

"Uh! No reason! Just excited to see you! That's all!" Kenneth stated with a smile on his face. "Why are you here?"

"Came by to bring you this," Greg replied handing Kenneth a box. Inside the box, there was a small satellite, an FM transmitter, a transponder, a microphone, and several cords and wires. Kenneth was about to hug Greg again when Greg put his hand up and stopped him.

"I brought you everything you asked me to bring," Greg replied. "You don't have to get overjoyed about it. I was happy to do it."

"Thanks again man! I can now get back to work!" Kenneth stated.

"Mind if I ask what you are doing?" Greg asked. "I have bought you a lot of different parts. I want to know what you are going to do with them."

Kenneth was about to speak when he saw Kelly Ann behind Greg. She was shaking her head and signaling him to keep his mouth shut. "I'm just trying to fix all these TV's," he blurted out. "I'm using these parts to not only fix the TV's, but I plan to give them a stronger signal. That way, when we flip on a channel, we will be able to get stations all across the state of North Carolina."

"Sounds interesting," Greg replied. "I was thinking about buying a new TV. Are you selling?"

"Yes, I am. But wait until I finish fixing them up," Kenneth replied.

Suddenly, the window to the house opened up and Gary stuck his head out. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Selling Greg, a TV," Kenneth replied.

"Why is Greg here?" Gary asked.

"Just dropping parts and tools off for Kenneth," Greg replied.

"…And he's buying a TV!" Kenneth shouted.

"Alright, that's fine. Remember, your still grounded, Kenneth!" Gary shouted as he shut the window.

"How's he doing?" Greg asked.

"He's still a jerk, and he still likes to get me in trouble," Kenneth replied.

"…But that's my job," Greg replied.

"How so?" Kenneth asked.

"I am having another party tonight. The first one did not go so well. This next one will be a blast. We're going to have it at my house. My parents are going to be out, so it will be safe there. It's going to be a small party, just me, Stephanie, a few other people, and you if you are interested," Greg whispered.

Kenneth smiled as he eagerly said, "Yes, I am interested."

"Great, it's at my house tonight at midnight. Come alone, okay," Greg replied.

"I will," Kenneth said as Greg turned and began to walk away. "Bye!"

Kenneth had a goofy smile plastered across his face. Kelly Ann snapped him out of his fantasy.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I'm going out tonight with Greg, is there a problem?" Kenneth asked.

"Yeah, Colorbars. We're going to launch Colorbars on him and the whole state of North Carolina," Kelly Ann replied.

"I told you! We're not going to hurt Greg," Kenneth replied.

"…And I told you, he's just going to hurt you down the road. Why not control him now so that your heart is not broken in the future?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Because he is my friend, and he will never hurt me," Kenneth replied.

"If you say so," Kelly Ann replied.

"I do, now let's get back to work, Colorbars is not going to set itself up," Kenneth replied.

As Kenneth worked on Colorbars, Stephanie Glass was busy doing a project of her own. Christopher was busy at his locker. He was finishing up classes for the day. As he closed his locker, Stephanie Glass was standing right behind it. He jumped up as she began signing him.

"Why did you save me last night?" she asked.

"Oh my God! You are relentless! Why are you following me?" Chris shouted at the top of his lungs.

"I want answers," Stephanie replied as she followed Chris.

"Why do you want answer? There is no answer to what I did! Leave it at that!" Chris stated as he took his backpack and headed outside. Stephanie followed him.

"There is an answer. You hate me. You want me to die. Why didn't you let me die?" Stephanie asked.

Chris couldn't take any more of the interrogation. He turned to Stephanie and gave her the middle figure. "See this, you read sign-language. Interpret what this means!" he stated as he glared at her.

"That's another thing, where did you learn how to do sign-language?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh! You are this close to getting punched!" Chris stated.

"Go ahead, punch me! Turn me into ground beef. I don't care. I'm not going to stop following you until you give me the answers I want!" Stephanie signed.

Chris walked over towards the bleachers. He was growing tired of Stephanie nagging him. He turned and faced her. He then took a deep breath.

"Alright, you want answers. Here is why I saved you. My goal in life is to torment you and Kenneth until the day you die. However, I don't want my torment to cause your deaths. It was my fault you were in that road. I couldn't let my actions end your life. Okay, are you happy now?" Chris asked.

"You saved me because you felt guilty?" Stephanie asked. "Oh my god! You actually have a heart! You actually care!"

"No, I don't," Chris replied. "Stop signing that I care. I don't care about you. I was thinking about me! Stop signing that!"

"The sign language, where did you learn that?" Stephanie asked.

"My grandmother is deaf. My grandparents taught me how to sign. It's so I can communicate with her," Chris replied.

"Oh!" Stephanie stated happy at what she discovered on Chris.

"Now, will you please leave me alone!" Chris stated.

"I'll leave you alone," Stephanie said with a smile. She now had some dirt on one of the bullies, and she was going to use it on him. She was about to leaven when Greg Hoffman showed up.

"Hey, Stephanie! I have been looking all over for you!" he stated.

"I just got out of class," Stephanie replied. "What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you are going to come over to my party tonight?" Greg asked.

"Will there be…" Stephanie replied.

"…And before you say it! No, there will be no Moxie!" Greg stated. "However, Kenneth will be there."

"Oh, okay then, if he is going to be there then I will show up," Stephanie replied.

"Great! The party will be at my house tonight at midnight. Don't be late," Greg replied.

"I won't," Stephanie signed as Greg walked away. Chris reproached Stephanie cautiously and scared her as she walked by.

"So, there is going to be another party tonight, heh," Chris replied.

"Chris! You're not invited!" Stephanie stated through sign language.

"Why not?" Chris signed back. "It's a free country. I can do whatever I want."

"You're not invited. You can't show up!" Stephanie stated.

"Why not?" Chris signed again. "Give me one good reason why I can't show up? I love parties. I love beer. Tell me why I can't show up?"

"Because Kenneth will be there," Stephanie replied.

"All the more reason for me to show up. I have some unfinished business with Kenneth," Chris replied.

"Please, leave him alone," Stephanie replied.

"…Or what?" Chris asked.

"I'll tell everyone you're a softy!" Stephanie stated.

"So, it will be my word against yours! My friends will believe me way more than you!" Chris stated.

"Look, you beat Kenneth up three times yesterday. He's so blue that he actually looks like a blueberry. Can you at least give him this night, please," Stephanie pleaded.

"Why should I?" Chris asked.

"Because…you're different," Stephanie replied. "You're not like those other bullies. You saved me."

"Which I am regretting every second after saving you," Chris remarked.

"Chris, I like Kenneth. Not just as a friend, but something more. I want us to be something more. This is why Greg is organizing these parties. He is trying to get us together," Stephanie replied.

"Wait! You like Kenneth. Not just like him, you like him like him. Wow! I mean just wow!" Chris stated.

"What's wrong with that?" Stephanie asked.

"He's homosexual for one thing. He likes Greg more than you! I bet at the party he will hang out with Greg instead of you. I guarantee that!" Chris stated.

"How do you know for sure?" Stephanie asked.

"I hang out with Jodi Foster, and he's homosexual. Trust me, you're wasting your time," Chris replied.

This caused Stephanie to tense up a bit. Chris looked at her, and it seemed she was going to cry. Chris thought fast at what he could say to her to avoid this type of situation.

"Steph, if you want someone to love. Find someone who will respect you for you are. Kenneth doesn't respect you in a loving way. He's not the right man for you," Chris replied.

"Oh! …And who is?" Stephanie asked.

"I don't know, but I am sure you will find him sooner or later. Hopefully, sooner," Chris replied.

"You think?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah, probably," Chris replied.

"Well, I am going to go after Kenneth. I know that deep down he does like me. I know it," Stephanie replied.

"You do that, and good luck," Chris replied as he smiled and rolled his eyes. He was about to walk away when Stephanie stopped him.

"Please, don't show up, especially with Gabriel. It will destroy the moment. Can you please keep the party a secret?" Stephanie asked.

"No promises," Chris replied as he walked away from the school. He headed over towards the junkyard where Gabriel, Pat, and Jodi were playing poker.

"Ha! I have two aces!" Jodi stated.

"That's nothing, I have three of a kind," Pat replied. "I WIN!"

"Sorry boys, you both loose! Look what I have!" Gabriel stated. He showed them a full house. Both Pat and Jodi threw their cards down in anger.

"I hate this game!" Pat stated.

"This is boring! Let's do something fun!" Jodi remarked.

"You guys are such sore losers!" Gabe remarked. "What's the score?"

"You know the score!" Pat shouted. "Both Jodi and I owe you one hundred dollars each!"

"I fucking hate you!" Jodi stated.

"Hey, that's my job," Chris replied as he joined the game.

` "Chris! Where have you been?" Pat asked.

"School," Chris replied.

"School! You need to cut class more!" Gabriel stated.

"Hey, not all of us have the luxury of skipping classes. Some of us actually have parents that force us to learn!" Chris stated.

"Just sneak out anyway. What harm can that cause?" Pat asked.

"A lot," Jodi interrupted. "I got caught sneaking out two weeks ago, and I got grounded."

"For how long?" Gabriel asked.

"According to my watch about half a century," Jodi remarked.

All the boys then burst out laughing. Gabriel then tapped Chris's shoulder. "Hey, man, tonight the boys and I are heading out to the city to cause some mayhem. You in?"

Chris thought about it for a second. He wanted to go, but then he remembered the party. He was going to say something to Gabriel, however he remembered what Stephanie had told him. Against his better judgment, he kept his mouth shut. What's worse, he told a white lie to all of his friends.

"I can't go tonight," he replied. "I have to go visit my grandmother in the nursing home."

All the boys let out a moan.

"Can't you skip out on that old hag?" Pat asked.

"Just tell your parents your busy tonight and can't go!" Jodi remarked.

"Better yet, check in at the nursing home and then sneak out the window when no one is watching," Pat replied.

"Guys, you know I can't do that," Chris replied. "If I do that and my parents find out. I'll be a dead man."

"Come on! You can sneak out! I'm doing it," Jodi replied.

"Your still grounded aren't you," Pat replied.

"Yep! I'm being a rebel!" Jodi stated.

"Love the idea, but I can't execute it. My grandmother would rat on me. I know how that lady works. I have to go," Chris replied.

Gabriel stared into the eyes of his friend. He looked closely and did not like what he saw.

"Are you lying to me?" he asked.

Chris chuckled worried he had been caught. "Why would I be lying to you?"

"Don't know, but I get this weird feeling whenever you are lying to me. Your eyes get really watery and they grow really big," Gabriel replied.

Chris gulped as he tried his best to smile. He was going to play off the lie and hope that his friends would not catch on. "I am not lying."

Gabriel stared right into the eyes of Chris. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever, then, say hi to your grandmother for me."

Chris took a deep breath when he realized he was not found out. For you see, he was not heading over to the nursing home. Instead, he was going to crash Greg's party. That night, he lurched in the woods waiting for it to get dark. Hours went by as he just sat in the woods watching Greg's house and making kazoo sounds out of blades of grass.

Around midnight, the party began and guests began to show up. Chris watched as Stephanie Glass went into Greg's house. Fifteen minutes later, he saw Kenneth Simmons show up. Kenneth looked nervous and he looked over his shoulder. He then went inside. Chris approached the house cautiously. He looked into the window to see what was going on.

He saw Kenneth trying his best to flirt with Greg. Greg shoved him off and focused his attention to the other guests. Kenneth, knowing he was being ignored, went over and chatted with Stephanie. Stephanie tried flirting with Kenneth, but like Greg it had no effect on him. Kenneth ignored her, and the only thing that was on his mind was Greg. When Stephanie knew, she was being ignored, she went off by herself. Kenneth excused himself and went into the bathroom.

Chris, seeing an opportunity, went to the front door and knocked on it. Greg opened it and was surprised at what he saw.

"Chris! What are you doing here?" he asked as he spat out the joint he was smoking.

"I am here to be at your party," Chris replied.

"Get out!" Greg shouted. "You're not welcome here! GET OUT!"

"That's no way to treat a guest," Chris replied.

"GET OUT!" Greg commanded trying to push Chris out the door. The two boys caused such a commotion that it caught the eyes of Stephanie Glass. She came to the door surprised to see Chris. However, she had a different attitude towards him.

"Chris, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came for the beers," Chris replied.

"He's just leaving! Good-bye Chris!" Greg stated as he pushed Chris out the door.

"Are you alone, Chris?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

"I did not tell anyone else about the party," Chris replied in sign language.

"It's okay, Greg, he's with me," Stephanie replied.

"What?" Greg asked.

"I invited him. It's okay, come inside Chris," Stephanie replied.

Chris shrugged of Greg and went inside. He followed Stephanie to where she was sitting. Greg kept an eye on him in case he caused trouble.

"What are you doing here?" Stephanie asked.

"I told you, I came for the beers," Chris replied.

"You came to check on me didn't you," Stephanie replied.

"I wanted to see how you fared. How did it go?" Chris asked.

"You're right, he doesn't want a relationship," Stephanie replied.

"Let me guess, still fantasying about being with Greg?" Chris asked. "I told you. He is not worth your time."

"He is worth my time. Kenneth is my best friend, and we will be friends until the very end!" Stephanie stated.

"It's a losing battle," Chris replied. "Kenneth is the way he is because he is too stubborn to change. He will never change."

"You say that he won't, but I have hope someday he might, it's possible," Stephanie replied.

"People don't change, not for the better that is," Chris remarked.

"You changed," Stephanie replied.

"I did not change!" Chris stated. "I told you! I just came for the beers!"

"Oh," Stephanie replied.

Meanwhile, Kenneth had just came out of the bathroom. In his hand, he held a small knife. He quickly placed that back into his pocket as he walked up to Greg Hoffman and began talking.

"Some party, huh?" Kenneth asked.

"It's going great for such a small turnout," Greg replied.

"Yeah, great turnout," Kenneth replied. He swallowed a large lump that was in the back of his throat. He looked up at Greg and tried to stop himself from blushing. "So…what are planning on doing at this party?"

"Mingle with guests, get high, get drunk," Greg replied.

"What about getting lucky?" Kenneth replied with a glimmer of hope in his eye.

"That's far from my mind!" Greg stated. "The last thing I need is to get some girl pregnant. That would destroy my life!"

"Well, it doesn't have to be a girl," Kenneth remarked.

"What do you mean?" Greg asked getting very suspicious.

"Well…I mean…. What if you…You know…Did a boy?" Kenneth asked.

Greg immediately knew what Kenneth was talking about. He turned and faced several guests that were mingling. "Oh! Look at that! Guests! I need to cater to them! Go talk to someone else! Look friends!" Greg than turned and tried to get far away from Kenneth. Kenneth knew that he had gone too far. He turned and ran back into the bathroom and locked the door from the inside. He sat down on the toilet and took out the small knife. He began cutting his wrists in order to make the pain stop. Small droplets of blood fell onto the floor. Kenneth closed his eyes as tears began to form in his eyes. When he opened them again, Kelly Ann was standing right in front of him.

"So, how did it go?" Kelly Ann asked.

"It didn't," Kenneth replied.

"I told you it wouldn't work!" Kelly Ann stated. "Greg is just not your type. You need to move on."

"On to what?" Kenneth bark as he began cutting himself more.

"Onto Color Bars! You need to finish Color Bars! It is the only way you will be able to make them pay!" Kelly Ann stated.

"I can't do this…I'm too weak," Kenneth replied.

"You're not weak! You are strong! You think your father would say that when he was in debt and the IRS was hounding at his door! Did he give up then? No! He worked hard and was able to accomplish the impossible! So, can you Kenneth! All you have to do is put your mind to it!" Kelly Ann stated.

"I don't know what to do?" Kenneth replied.

"Leave this dumb party and go back to your house. Finish Color Bars and then you will find eternal happiness. We will finally be together as one. We will finally get our ultimate wish. We will finally be happy." Kelly Ann replied.

Kenneth nodded his head as he placed the knife away and rolled down his sleeve to hide the scars. He unlocked the door and left that bathroom. He was about to leave the party when something caught his eye. It was something out of the ordinary, so it shocked him. It was Chris, and he was talking to his best friend Stephanie as if they were friends since the womb. This enraged him. Suddenly, he was caught up in his emotions that he could not control his actions. He ran up to Chris and punched him straight in the nose. This caught him and the guests by surprise.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Chris shouted as he fell flat on his back.

"KENNETH!" Stephanie shouted

"What's going on here?" Greg asked.

"That's for yesterday! Kenneth yelled.

"Why did you do that?" one guest asked.

"Chris did nothing wrong! You shouldn't have punched him!" another shouted.

"Freak boy over here thinks it's okay to randomly punch an unarmed person! That's cruel!" another yelled.

All of the guests began talking against Kenneth which caused Kenneth to get really mad.

"He's a bully! He doesn't disserve your pity! He disserves to be punched square in the face!" Kenneth shouted. He was about to punch him again when Greg got in the way. He used his body to block Kenneth's punch. Unfortunately, the blow went straight into Greg's face and knocked him straight onto the ground.

"GREG!" Kenneth shouted.

Chris grabbed Kenneth by the arm and tried to restrain him. This caused Kenneth to punch him again. Other kids got involved trying to restrain the out of control Kenneth. However, the anger that was building up inside of him for all these years was finally released in a violent and unholy way. It was out of control. Stephanie tried to stop him, however, Kenneth was not in a stopping mood. Instead, he punched her straight in the face and knocked her straight to the floor.

"Stephanie!" Chris shouted as he ran to her side.

"You punched a deaf girl!" one guest shouted. "How could you?"

"Kenneth," Greg replied feeling very hurt and betrayed.

The party guests had turned against him. One by one they began saying mean things to Kenneth. Kenneth simply turned to the door. With tears in his eyes, he shouted at the top of his lungs: "I HOPE YOU ALL DIE!" With that, he left the party feeling sad and humiliated.

Greg stood up amidst the confusion and shouted, "All right! Everyone out! Party over! Everyone out!"

Guests began to leave one by one. Chris helped Stephanie to her feet and helped her out the door. He led her down the street and began to walk her home.

"Are you okay?" he signed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied back in sign language.

"I can't believe Kenneth did that. He was never the violent type." Chris remarked which earned him a punch on the shoulder. "OW! Now don't you start! What was that for?"

"It's your fault! You're the one who is always bullying him! That is why he acted out!" Stephanie stated.

"It's not my fault," Chris replied.

"It is too," Stephanie replied. "Kenneth acts out because he feels that everyone in the world is against him. He feels that he needs to protect himself from people who are violent towards him."

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Chris asked.

"Be nice to him," Stephanie replied.

"Yeah! That will be the day!" Chris remarked.

The two of them walked towards the street lights. They approached one of the houses on Newbolt Street. It was an abandoned house that no one had lived in for years. It was old and falling apart. It looked like one of the haunted houses from Stephen King's world. Chris smiled at this as he picked up a rock. He tossed it towards the house and smashed a window.

"Why did you do that?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

"Did you ever see It's a Wonderful Life? You're supposed to take a rock and smash a window. Then you have to make a wish. It is then supposed to come true if you keep it a secret," Chris replied.

"What did you wish for?" Stephanie asked.

"To get lucky tonight," Chris replied.

"Why did you tell me that?" Stephanie asked looking weirded out by his answer.

"Oh, I know it is not going to come true," Chris replied.

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she picked up a rock and threw it. It smashed a window on the top floor.

"Wow! Good throw! What did you wish for?" Chris asked.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Stephanie replied.

The two of them kept walking right up to Stephanie's house. Chris and Stephanie stood on the porch as the dim porch light shined down on both of them.

"Well, your home. Have a good night," Chris replied.

"Thanks," Stephanie replied. She then leaned over and gave Chris a kiss on the check. This caught him by surprise. He was about to say something when Stephanie slipped away into the house. Chris took his hand and wiped the kiss off. He then turned and walked away without saying a word. Stephanie stood by the door. She looked out the tiny glass window until Chris was out of sight. In her mind, she hoped that her wish would come true. She wished that Kenneth Simmons would find happiness and the Chris would resolve his differences with him. She hoped that someday that the two of them would be good friends. The only thing she could do was hope and pray that in the end everything would work out for the better.

Things were not looking up for Kenneth as he arrived home. His mother gave him hell for leaving the house and added another month onto his grounding. Kenneth didn't care. He knew shortly that he would have his revenge. It knew that Wilmington would be under his control in a few short hours. He knew what he had to do.

Kenneth went down into the garage and began fastening the TV's together. He stacked one on top of another. Aligning the wires just right, he hooked them up to one system. Using an ACORN Archimedes, Kenneth was able to find a station that all of Wilmington was listening too. He attached the power converter to the transmitter which was hooked up to the TV. He then rewired the system to the power outlet and ran a separate system to a different power source. He then picked up his father's camera and hooked it up to the station.

"This is for you dad," he whispered as he began to wield everything together.

"What are you doing down there?" his mother shouted before she headed up to bed.

"I'm cleaning up down here like Gary wanted," Kenneth replied.

"Well, hurry up and come to bed," his mother yelled as she flipped the lights out.

Kenneth lit a candle and continued working. He did not get a minute of sleep. His hatred was the motivation that drove him to finish Color Bars. That night he planned to have it completed. Several hours later, the project was near completion. Kenneth was placing the finishing touched on his project when Kelly Ann appeared before him.

"Is it all most done?" she asked.

"Yep! Just putting the finishing touched on it," Kenneth replied.

"Just think, we will have them all just before the 7 AM weather report! It is just as we planned!" Kelly Ann stated. "We will make the pay for what they did to us!"

"We will!" Kenneth stated. "So as long as this works."

"What could go wrong?" Kelly Ann asked.

"A lot of things: fire, power surge, electrocution, anything and everything," Kenneth replied.

"Don't worry about it! By the time were done with this stupid town they will wish all of that stuff had happened!" Kelly Ann stated with glee.

"This is it! Once I hook this wire up, Color Bars goes live," Kenneth replied.

"You ready to do this?" Kelly Ann asked. "Because once we plug it in there is no going back."

"I'm ready! Let's do this!" Kenneth stated as he hooked the wire into place. There was static in all of the TV's. There was a loud noise and a lot of screeching and static. Kenneth placed his hands to his ears. The sound was so loud that it forced him to his knees. The noise woke up the entire neighborhood. He turned to see Kelly Ann, but she was no longer there. Instead, she was inside the TV causing the loud noises to be heard all across the state.

"Can you hear me Kenneth," Kelly Ann asked over the airwaves.

"I can hear you," Kenneth replied. "Can you hear me?"

She did answer. Instead, words began flashing over the TV: **There's nothing here! For you to see! For you to See! To see you!** It flashed like this for the next five minutes.

"What do you want me to do?" Kenneth asked as the TV's began to flash color bars. Sparks began flying out of the wires as Kenneth turned and saw the camera. He went over to it and turned it on.

Alright, is this thing working?"

He took a few steps back, fumbling over stray cables. From somewhere within the house, he could faintly hear his own voice projecting through the living room television set.

"Kenneth?" The muffled voice of his mother shouted. "Kenneth, what the hell are you doing in there?"

He snickered, "I'm assuming we're on! Well, here goes nothing."

With the flick of a switch, COLORBARS was live. An intricate pattern of vivid, pulsating colors was projected onto a chroma key backdrop behind him. Accompanying the visuals were finely-tuned frequencies, blasted through the sound system at such a high volume it'd be impossible to hear one's own thoughts. He spoke into the microphone; a cheap, broken model he found and patched up from an electronics store.

"Can you still hear me? Wait, hold up," he slipped out of the camera's view for a few seconds to fiddle with the audio mix.

"Here, let's try something: Scream as loud as you can if you can hear me." The neighborhood roared with the voices of its residents, and Kenneth burst into a fit of laughter.

"It worked! Oh, my fucking God, it worked!"

He took a moment to collect himself, then returned his attention to the camera.

"Well, let's start off by telling you all what this is," he motioned behind him to the green screen, drawing the audience's attention to the colorful presentation. "See this? I made it myself," he spoke with a matter-of-fact tone.

"…And you hear that ringing noise? Made that too. The frequencies of the audio mixed with the pulsating visuals create an electromagnetic field strong enough to brainwash someone." He put a finger up to his lips, "I mean, not like any of you are smart enough to comprehend that. You know, I had always wondered what it'd be like to see an entire country shut down."

Kenneth begun swinging the microphone around, careless as to whether or not it broke. "Hell, what would it be like if everyone died, all at once? Now, I could certainly cause that, couldn't I? Nobody wants me around, so why should I give a damn in return?"

Kenneth paused, then let out a small, forced laugh.

"But I think it's a little early in the evening for that, isn't it? I mean, the parties are just stared, right?" he replied with a laugh. He was comprehending on what to do next. He couldn't decide how he would end it all or who is first victims would be. A loud shout from inside the house caused him to make a decision. He knew exactly who his first targets were going to be.

"Audience! If you are watching! I am going to show you what kind of power I wield. I am going to show you what it is like to hold another life in one's hand. Just watch this!" Kenneth stated as he turned his camera towards the garage door. The door opened and their stood Kenneth's mother and his step-father.

"Kenneth! What on earth are you doing?" Carrie asked.

"It's 7 AM! What is all the noise?" Gary asked.

"Mother! Gary! I am so glad to see you two here! You two are about to join my show!" Kenneth stated.

"What show?" Carrie asked.

"My show! It's called Color Bars after a project my dad built," Kenneth replied.

"Your father, Kenneth what have you done?" Carrie asked looking very concerned.

"I finished his project. I built Color Bars. I did it to show the world what I, Kenneth Simmons can do. Just watch! Everybody out there! SCREAM!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The whole neighborhood let out a scream including his parents.

"What happened?" Carrie asked.

"Why did I just yell?" Gary asked.

"I can control everyone and everything. I can make everyone do whatever I want them to do thanks to the TV frequencies. Anyone near an electronic device is now under my control. Even you two," Kenneth replied.

"Well, I'm putting a stop to this right now!" Gary shouted as he approached the TV. He was about to smash it when Kenneth yelled "STOP!" Gary stopped in his tracks and did not move. He couldn't move. Kenneth was controlling him.

"Kenneth, stop!" his mother pleaded.

"Release me at once!" Gary yelled.

Kenneth turned to his mother as an evil grin came over his face. He turned and faced his step-father.

"You want to smash a TV. Go ahead and smash it. First, pick it up," Kenneth replied.

Gary bent down and picked it up. Color Bars were being broadcast over it.

"Now hold it over your head," Kenneth replied.

Gary placed the TV over his head. He had no control over what he was doing. Carrie saw this and wanted to fight her son. However, she couldn't find the strength or courage to move. It was the frequencies and the fear that kept her frozen in place.

"Now approach me," Kenneth replied. His step-father approached. He placed one foot in front of the other until he was standing next to Kenneth.

"Now smash the TV over mom's face," Kenneth replied.

"What?" Carrie shouted with fear in her voice.

Gary turned and faced Carrie. The TV hanging over his head. He closed his eyes and he knew what was coming.

"Gary! Fight this!" Carrie shouted.

"I can't!" he yelled just as a picture of Kelly Ann came over the television.

Carrie let out a scream as the TV crashed on top of her. Glass pierced her face as the inside of the TV cracked her skull. Her brain was pierced as blood poured inside causing her to hemorrhage. She collapsed to the ground dead just as the whole world was watching.

Garry let out a scream as he turned to fight Kenneth.

"STOP!" Kenneth shouted as Gary was about to punch him. Gary had to obey because he was under the control of the frequencies.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Gary shouted.

"You wish!" Kenneth stated with glee. "Now what should we do with him, Kelly Ann?"

"We could turn him have him gut himself or we could make him walk in front of a bus," Kelly Ann replied over the airwaves.

"…Or we could force him to eat poison," Kenneth replied.

"…Or set himself on fire!" Kelly Ann stated.

"…Or electrocute himself!" Kenneth exclaimed.

"What about hanging?" Kelly Ann asked.

"I have it! I know the perfect way to die!" Kenneth stated. "Gary! Walk upstairs and climb out the window. Stand on the roof for me please."

"Kenneth! NO!" Gary shouted not wanting to die.

He tried to fight it but again Gary was helpless. His feet began to take him outside the garage and up the stairs. In a matter of minutes, Gary was on top of the roof, face to face with death.

"What do you want me to do now? Jump?" Gary asked.

"No, if you jump from that height, the only thing you will sustain is a broken neck. I want this to kill you!" Kenneth stated.

"You need something that will impale him!" Kelly Ann declared.

"Like what? Do you have a spiked mattress lying around?" Kenneth asked.

"No, but there are some gardening tools in the shed that you can use, Kelly Ann replied.

"Good idea! I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere!" Kenneth stated referring to the audience. He ran out of the garage and into the shed.

Gary was dangling over the roof and was about to die. He turned and looked over at the TV seeing Kelly Ann broadcasting through it.

"What do you want?" Gary asked.

"Revenge," Kelly Ann replied.

"For what? What did I do?" Gary asked.

"Everything! Everything you, that reporter, that clown ever did to me! I'm going to make you all pay!" Kelly Ann stated.

"I did nothing to you!" Gary shouted at the top of his lungs.

"You kept me apart from Kenneth! You kept him from his true potential!" Kelly Ann stated.

"What do you mean?" Gary asked.

"I am Kenneth and Kenneth is me," Kelly Ann replied.

"You are a girl! How is that possible?" Gary asked.

"The times are changing, Gary. You really need to learn how to adapt." Kelly Ann replied.

"I thought you were just Kenneth's imaginary friend! How can you be real?" Gary asked.

"Anything can be real if you believe hard enough!" Kelly Ann stated.

Kenneth returned holding an axe. He placed it sharp side up and right under Gary Banners. Kenneth had an evil look on his face as he knew what was about to transpire. He took hold of the camera and focused it on Gary.

"Any last words?" Kenneth asked.

"FUCK YOU!" Gary shouted.

"…And same to you! Now jump!" Kenneth ordered.

The frequencies ripped through Gary's ears. He was forced to jump. He fell faced first onto the axe. It impaled him right through his stomach. He rolled over in pain onto his back. His white undershirt was covered in blood. He reached out his hand in mercy hoping to receive some. However, the only thing that he received was a cold shoulder. Kenneth approached and picked up the axe. He ripped it out of Gary's body. He then brought it down upon him again and again just as the whole world watched in shock.

"This is for treating me like garbage!" Kenneth shouted as blood splashed everywhere.

"Kenneth! I think that is enough!" Kelly Ann stated. "I think he is dead!"

Kenneth took a few deep breaths as he took a couple of steps back. He turned and faced the camera. He had blood smeared all over his face and a goofy smile plaster over it as well.

"Gary Banners and Carrie Simmons were the first! By the time I am done, there will be many more! Everyone let out a scream!" Kenneth ordered.

Everyone in the neighborhood screamed with anticipation.

"You see, I hold each and every one of your sad pathetic lives. I'm going to you what it is like to live in my world! I'm going to give each and everyone of you a taste of darkness, a taste of death. You will all see what it is like and if you don't want to, then too bad! I'm the one in control! I have the remote, so there is no stopping this ride!" Kenneth shouted.

"Everyone out there watching! We have a hell of a show for you! So, grab some popcorn! Take a seat and sit back and relax for the show is about to start!" Kelly Ann stated.

Kenneth walked over and picked up a microphone. He then pointed to the back wall just as some lights came on. Two signs that said Applause on them began flashing and everyone out there applauded at the upcoming death and destruction.

"So, who should the next victim be?" Kelly Ann asked.

"I'm not sure? Should we take a poll?" Kenneth asked.

"I will take the poll! Anyone, throw in an idea. Who would you like to see die next?" Kelly Ann asked.

Across the airwaves, Kelly Ann listened to the people's minds. They all were saying different names of people they wanted to see dead. It was either a relative they could not stand, an enemy that they hated, or some annoying person that wreck their lives when they were children. The poll was deeply divided.

"I know who the next victim will be," Kenneth replied with a smile.

"Who?" Kelly Ann asked.

"The teens that bullied me. Gabe Raziquil, Jodi Foster, Pat Moya, and Chris. They are the next victims," Kenneth replied.

"What about Stephanie Glass and Greg Hoffman?" Kelly Ann asked.

"They are not to be harmed," Kenneth replied.

"Why not?" Kelly Ann asked.

Kenneth let out a chuckle as he placed his hand over the camera.

"…Because! They are my friends," Kenneth replied.

"That abandoned you when you needed them the most. Do I have to remind you on what happened last night?" Kelly Ann asked.

She pressed a button and a TV went on. It showed Stephanie and Greg abandoning Kenneth at the party and Kenneth yelling "I HOPE YOU ALL DIE!"

It played again: "I HOPE YOU ALL DIE!"

…And again: "I HOPE YOU ALL DIE!" It played over and over in Kenneth's head.

"Greg refused your advances and Stephanie left you for your worst enemy. In the end, the people you love and trust will all forsake you and you will be alone forever. You need to fight back and make them all pay!" Kelly Ann stated.

"But, I don't think I can," Kenneth replied.

"It's going to hurt. It's like ripping a band aid off. But, it is necessary otherwise it just becomes a nuisance. You have to end them." Kelly Ann replied.

Kenneth took a deep breath. He then took his hand off the camera lens and placed the camera on the tripod.

"Sorry about the delay. It was…um…technical difficulties. Now, where was I? Oh yes! The victims! They are going to be the teen that bullied me! I'm going to kill all four of them!" Kenneth stated.

"AHEM!" Kelly Ann stated through the TV glass.

"…And I am going to kill Stephanie Glass and Greg Hoffman for abandoning me. They are going to be the next victims in my sick game! So, Stephanie, Greg, if you're out there and you are listening, prepare yourselves. For you two are about to die! Everyone let out your gratitude by applauding!" Kenneth stated.

Everyone let out their applause.

"Great! Now sit back and watch! Let the games begin!" Kenneth stated with glee.


	3. Chapter 3: Lights, Camera, Bloodshed

Stephanie Glass decided to sleep in that morning. She was up late pondering at what had taken place at the party. She was thinking about Chris and how he had treated her differently. She was thinking about Kenneth, and what kind of path he was going down. In her dreams, she saw Kenneth walking down a dark and dreary path, a path she was not willing to go down. Kenneth was standing at the end of the path, beckoning her to walk down it. She froze up in fear. Two shadows were standing next to Kenneth. To his right, there was a young woman that looked exactly like Kenneth, but in a female form. On his left, there was a woman who was dressed up in a suit. Her face was completely wrapped up in bandages and it looked as if she had six arms. That woman lunged at Stephanie, this caused her to wake up from her slumber in loud scream.

Stephanie flung her arms around crazily, as if she was trying to fend off the monster. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her bed, safe and sound. She let out a sigh of relief as she jumped out of bed and got ready for the day. She brushed her teeth and put on some fresh new clothes. She ran downstairs expecting breakfast from her mother. When she reached the bottom, she was puzzled to why there were no smell of eggs and bacon cooking. Breakfast was not made and her parents were no where to be seen.

"Mom," she replied in a week voice. She looked around to find her parents. She couldn't hear them calling, but she was hoping to find them close by. She walked into the living room and saw both parents sitting on the couch. She walked over and tapped her mother on the shoulder. Her mother did not respond. Instead, a mouthful of drool came out.

"Mom," she signed as she tried to get her attention. When that didn't work, she walked over to her father and tapped him on the shoulder. Her parents remained frozen, as if they were being hypnotized by a magician. She looked over to the TV, which was on, and tried to get a glimpse on what was controlling her parents. The only thing that was on were color bars that were going over across the screen. Stephanie could not understand why her parents were so entranced at what was happening.

"Mom, Dad, can you hear me?" Stephanie asked as she signed.

Suddenly, her parents started signing to her at once in a coordinated fashion. Their hands moved in a fast motion, but Stephanie was able to catch each word.

"Their waiting for you! Your time has come! Go and meet your maker at the center of town near city hall! Go Stephanie! There waiting for you!" they signed.

Stephanie was weirded out by all of this. She wanted to get to the bottom of the whole situation, so she ran out of the house and headed towards city hall without eating anything for breakfast.

At city hall, Stephanie saw Greg Hoffman sitting in a bush with his eyes clothes. Stephanie approached him and tapped him on the shoulder trying to wake him up. He awoke immediately and began thrashing his arms around as if he was being attacked by a ninja.

"Don't pull the lever! DON'T PULL THE LEVER!" he shouted.

"What lever?" Stephanie asked looking very confused.

"Oh! It was just a nightmare! I thought I was being hanged! Back in 1802! For stealing Wednesday! Is it Wednesday? I'm hungry? Are you hungry?" Greg asked.

"Are you high Greg?" Stephanie asked.

"Very!" Greg stated as he whipped out another joint.

"Hey, have you seen anyone else here today?" Stephanie asked.

"No, why?" Greg asked as he lit his joint.

"I was at home and my parents were acting very strange," Stephanie replied.

"Strange?" Greg asked. "Strange how?"

"They were both staring at the TV. They paid no heed to me. They were just sitting there watching the TV," Stephanie replied.

"…And what's wrong with that?" Greg asked.

"They were not watching anything!" Stephanie stated. "The only thing that was on was a color bar pattern. That's it."

"That does sound weird," Greg replied. "Maybe aliens got to them."

"I doubt aliens got to them, Greg," Stephanie replied.

"Well, maybe morons were involved, and speaking of morons here's Gabriel," Greg replied.

"Hey! Who you calling a moron?" Gabriel asked as he approached city hall with his gang.

"What are you doing here?" Greg asked.

"We're looking for everyone," Jodi replied.

"My parents aren't home. They left a note on the table saying to be here," Pat replied.

"What the fuck is going on?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Stephanie replied. "Everyone is acting very strange."

"I'm telling you! It's aliens!" Greg shouted trying to prove his point.

"IT'S NOT ALIENS!" they all shouted back at him.

"It's the color bars," Stephanie replied. "It has the people memorized like it's some kind of control.

"What kind of control?" Pat asked.

"I don't know, maybe mind control. I'm not one 100% sure. It's not my subject of interest," Stephanie replied.

"Who's subject of interest is this?" Gabriel asked.

"Kenneth Simmons," Stephanie replied as a loud sound echoed through the town. Everyone placed their hands to their ears. Even Stephanie could catch the sound of a low broadcasting frequency.

A TV was at the entrance of city hall, static was playing on it as works began to flash over it.

The words said: **For you to see, to see you. For you too see, to see you.**

The group approached hoping to get some answers. When they reached the steps, Kenneth Simmons came onto the air. He was holding a microphone and was tangled up in all of the wires. He was laughing hysterically as the group looked closely at the TV. All of them were very confused.

"Kenneth!" Stephanie shouted.

"How did you get on the TV?" Greg asked.

"Why are you doing this?" Pat asked.

"Where the fuck is everyone?" Chris asked.

"Patience! Patience," Kenneth replied. "I can't reveal everything now. It will spoil the ending! We have a show to put on! I'm your host Kenneth Simmons, and you guys are my contestants!"

"Contestants in what?" Jodi asked.

"I call it: The Color Bar Quest! I want you guys to survive for the next twelve hours against my color bars. If you do this you win!" Kenneth stated.

"What do we win?" Gabriel asked looking for some kind of reward.

"Your lives," Kenneth replied with an evil grin on his face.

"Why are you doing this?" Stephanie asked.

"I'm going to show the world what it is like to live in the darkness that I live in. This is payback for everything you guys ever did to me," Kenneth replied.

As he said this, more TV's began rolling up towards the area. Following the TV's, were the people of Wilmington North Carolina. The people looked as if they were zombies. They walked in a synchronized movement like ants following one superior being. The group was very concerned about this.

"Kenneth, we can talk about this!" Stephanie stated.

"Yeah! Over beers and a few joints!" Greg added.

"Kenneth! You better release these people! They have done nothing wrong to you!" Jodi stated.

"You all have wronged me! You all have to pay!" Kenneth stated.

"Says who?" Gabriel asked.

"Says me," Kenneth replied. "Me and my friend Kelly Ann."

"Who?" Gabriel asked.

"Kelly Ann is Kenneth's imaginary friend," Greg replied. "She doesn't exist."

"…Or does she!" Kelly Ann stated as she came over to the screen.

"How is that possible?" Greg asked as he nearly choked to death on the marijuana smoke.

Kelly Ann, she was standing there right on the screen, but she was not standing next to Kenneth. It was like she was burned into the frequencies and the colors of the TV.

"Hi guys," she replied. "Remember me?"

"No," Gabriel replied.

"You made fun of me and Kenneth. You tried to wipe me from existence, but you failed. It's time we returned the favor," Kelly Ann replied.

"What?" Jodi asked.

"DIE!" Kelly Ann stated as static overtook her body. She disappeared from the screen. Instead, color bars began playing a dangerous melody. The frequencies echoes across the front lawn of city hall. The sounds were so deafening that it brought the group to its knees.

"Cover you ears!" Chris shouted as most of the group did. Pat covered his ears, but he heard a voice inside the back of his head that was compelling him to disobey the order.

Slowly, Pat placed his hands down to his side. He stood up, and in a trance began walking backward.

"Pat! What the fuck are you doing?" Chris asked.

"Pat! Stop walking!" Jodi shouted.

"Cover your ears!" Gabriel yelled.

"The sounds, they compel me," Pat replied as he continued to walk backward.

"That's it, keep going, keep going! Okay! Now stop!" Kelly Ann stated.

Pat obeyed, stopping in the middle of the road. Chris turned and saw a truck driving on the road heading towards Pat. The truck was being driven by someone who was under the control of COLORBARS. Chris began to run, hoping to reach Pat in time.

"PAT RUN!" he shouted.

Pat stared at Chris and had fear in his eyes. The kind of fear that was sprayed across his face. He knew he was going to die. The truck struck him at 65 mph. Pat's body went limp as it flew in the air. The body smashed head first onto the ground forming its own pool of blood. Chris ran over and tried to help, but it was too late. The impact of the truck and the pavement caused Pat's neck to snap. He was dead.

"Why did you do that?" Stephanie cried as Greg tried to comfort her.

"It had to be done," Kelly Ann replied. "Everyone! Give a round of applause to our audience for participating in this extraordinary event."

Everyone on the lawn began to applaud Kenneth and Kelly Ann. Chris turned and walked up to the TV. He punched it so hard that the glass cracked and sparks flew out. Kenneth and Kelly Ann began to appear on other TV's spread across the lawn. They were laughing hysterically along with the people.

"Now why would you go and do a thing like that?" Kenneth asked.

"Those TV's are very expensive," Kelly Ann replied. "I expect full reimbursement!"

"Fuck you!" Chris shouted.

"Oh! I'm not the one who is going to be fucked! That's going to happen to the lot of you after the people of Wilmington tear you apart!" Kelly Ann stated.

"What?" Jodi asked as the people began to approach them.

"It's audience participation! Great for views! You see, I know what it is like to kill. I, personally, ended the relationship of Carrie Simmons and her good for nothing step-husband Gary Banners! Now, they need to know what it is like to take a life. That is why they are going to take yours!" Kenneth stated.

"Shit!" Chris remarked as the people surrounded them.

"What do we do?" Gabriel asked.

"I have an idea…RUN!" Greg shouted.

The five of them fled the lawn with a horde of people in pursuit. Stephanie and Greg led the charge with Chris, Gabriel, and Jodi not far behind.

"What's going on here?" Gabriel asked.

"They killed Pat! THEY KILLED PAT!" Jodi shouted.

"Their gaining on us! We have to run!" Stephanie yelled.

"What do we think we're doing? Playing foosball?" Gabriel shouted as the horde chased them.

"Guys! Follow me!" Greg shouted as he led the group down an alleyway.

"Where are we going?" Jodi asked as they ducked down behind some dumpsters.

"Keep your voice down and follow me. I'll take you there," Greg whispered and the group crawled on the hands and knees to escape.

Meanwhile, Kenneth was watching the TV cameras all around town in hopes to find those who escaped.

"Where are they?" he asked. "How could the group have lost them? They were right there five seconds ago!"

"It's okay," Kelly Ann replied as she appeared on a TV screen. "They can't go very far. We'll find them."

"How are they not under my control?" Kenneth asked. "I have everyone else in this stupid town doing my bidding. Why aren't they doing it? It would make killing them easier."

"Well, with all great inventions, there are always flaws. Lightbulbs burn out, cars run out of gas, phonelines go out during a storm. There must be some kind of anomaly that we did not account for that's keeping this group from out control," Kelly Ann replied.

"Well then, we have to broaden our search for them. We cannot let them escape, or worst for them to try and take us down," Kenneth replied.

"That will never happen," Kelly Ann replied. "In a couple of hours, we will be one in the same, and no one will ever stand in our way again."

Kenneth chucked at this as he turned and faced the camera. "Well, the show must go on. Cue the lights, cue the camera, cue the bloodshed!"

In the alleyway, Greg led the group down through the garbage laid streets. They ducked down several alleyways to avoid the zombie-controlled horde. Until they came to an open space and then a gas station that stood in the middle of the road.

"The Gas and Go! You led us to the Gas and Go!" Gabriel stated.

"Yeah, why?" Greg asked.

"This is the first place their going to look! These freaks are going to tear us apart thanks to you!" Gabriel stated. "Might as well place a sign on all of us saying HEY LOOK! MOVING TARGETS OVER HERE! COME GET US! WE'RE A FREE MEAL!"

"Gabriel, do me a favor," Chris replied.

"Yeah, what is it?" Gabriel asked.

"Unless, you have a brilliant idea, can you do me a solid and SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Chris stated.

"Okay, okay, don't have to be so touchy," Gabriel replied.

The group went inside the Gas and Go and ducked behind the counter. A swarm of controlled people went by searching for them.

"What's going on here? Why are they acting like this?" Jodi asked.

"It's Kenneth! He's controlling them!" Gabriel stated.

"That doesn't explain why his imaginary friend is alive. She shouldn't exist and yet we all saw her," Greg replied.

"It's just a hologram. You know how that fancy CGI is coming these days. That is probably what she is," Gabriel replied.

"But she's real! She can talk and have a conscious. It's not like Kenneth programed her word for word unless he is a psychic and knew out dialog before we said anything," Greg replied.

"Okay, we have other problems to deal with, like the giant horde of people outside wanting to kill us," Jodi replied.

"The frequency," Stephanie signed.

"Frequency?" Chris asked as he signed back.

"That loud noise that comes on with the Color Bars. Its high pitch is so loud that I can even hear it. That is how he is controlling everyone. It's the frequency," Stephanie signed.

"Okay, but why aren't we affected by it while everyone else is?" Chris asked as he signed back.

"Hey guys! DO us a favor and SPEAK ENGLISH!" Gabriel stated.

"SSSHHHHHH!" Greg shouted as he placed his hand of Gabriel's mouth. The horde continued to search. Fortunately, they did not spot the group inside the Gas and Go.

"Get your hand off my mouth," Gabriel whispered.

"Ugh! Did you just spit in my hand?" Greg asked as he wiped the saliva on his shirt.

"Guys, we were talking about the frequency. That's what's controlling the horde," Chris whispered.

"Then why aren't we controlled?" Jodi asked looking very confused.

"Well, Stephanie is deaf and cannot hear the frequency that well. So, she can't be controlled. As for Greg, well, he is high as fuck right now and cannot comprehend what's going on at the moment," Chris replied.

"I can too comprehend what's going on!" Greg stated in a loud voice.

Gabriel then punched Greg in the face to get him to quiet down. This caught Greg by surprise as his head jerked back.

"UGH! I think you broke a tooth," he replied trying to keep his volume under control.

"Why aren't we under Kenneth's control? We're not deaf, high, or stupid. Why aren't we under the control of the Color Bars?" Gabriel asked.

"The power at my house was turned off because my family did not pay the electric bill. I was home by myself in the dark. That's why I am not under Kenneth's control. He could not reach me," Chris replied.

"I see, and I'm not under his control because I don't have a TV at my house!" Gabriel stated.

"What happened to the TV?" Jodi asked.

"I threw it at my mom yesterday and sent her to the hospital. It's cracked and broken now," Gabriel replied.

"Wow…. just wow," Greg replied.

"How are you not in jail?" Stephanie asked.

"My mom's in a coma. I just told the police she fell down the stairs while moving the TV. Surprisingly, the bought it," Gabriel replied.

"Again just…wow," Greg replied.

"What about Jodi here? Why isn't he under the control of Kenneth?" Gabriel asked.

"Maybe because he is gay and that Kenneth did not want to mind control gay people," Stephanie replied.

"Really, that's the best answer?" Jodi asked feeling offended by what they had said.

"Well, what's your guess?" Gabriel asked.

"I have an ear infection," Jodi replied. "If you haven't noticed I have cotton balls in my ears. You see?"

Everyone looked and saw the cotton balls each one let out an "Ah!"

"Seriously, I have had them in all day and none of you noticed them?" Jodi asked.

"We have been running away from mind-controlled freaks! I'm sorry none of us had the time to stop and examine your ears!" Stephanie stated.

Suddenly, a loud sound came from the outside. The group ducked down and remained quiet as a mouse. The horde was getting louder and louder. Chris looked and scanned around the area. He saw that nothing had breached the Gas and Go yet.

"We cannot stay here forever," Stephanie replied.

"Yeah! No shit!" Gabriel stated.

"Where do you want to go?" Jodi asked. "It has to be somewhere that Kenneth and Kelly Ann will think will be the last place to look for us."

Stephanie and Chris looked at each other and in unison said: "The house on Newbold street."

"That run-down place?" Gabriel asked.

"I know a secret way in," Chris replied. "It's the last place Kenneth will look for us because he has never caught us there. It will be perfect."

"Why can't we just hide out at our secret hiding place?" Gabriel asked.

"Because he will look for us there," Chris replied. "Kenneth knows all of our hideouts. The last place he will suspect is the house on Newbolt street unless any of you have any ideas?"

No one said anything.

"Great! Then we will head towards the house on Newbolt street. Let's clear this place out of anything we need before we head off. Grab only items of necessary because we have a long walk outside through the horde to get there," Chris replied.

The group began crawling across the floor picking up various items they would need in order to survive Kenneth's sick game. Chris grabbed some rope, some lighter fluid, and a flashlight. Stephanie grabbed some can food and some candy bars while Jodi picked up several bottles of water. Gabriel took with him a few packs of cigarettes, the cash from the register, and a handgun that was stored under the counter. Greg picked up his joints and magazines he was reading which was met with disapproval from the others that were there.

"What?" he replied as he put the merchandise back. "I was just thinking we should use it for medical reasons."

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she handed him a med kit. "Use this."

"Aw! Fuck!" Greg stated as he took the med kit.

Stephanie went back to grab some items. She took the payphone that was attached to the wall along with the fax machine that was in the back. She also took the transmitter from the FM radio, and some wiring from the soda machine. She also grabbed a few tools that were lying around out in the back.

"What's all that for?" Chris asked as he went into the soda machine.

"It's an experiment," Stephanie replied. "In case we get in a jam."

"What does it do?" Chris asked.

"You'll see," Stephanie replied as she wrapped the items in her coat.

The horde was beginning to surround the Gas and Go. The horde heard sounds coming from the inside, and they knew they had found the group. Chris, Greg, and Jodi looked out the window to see the group approaching.

"What do we do?" Jodi asked.

"I can set them on fire!" Greg stated. "I release the gas from the pumps and spray it on them torching them all!"

"We can't do that!" Chris stated. "Mind control of not, these people are still our neighbors and friends. We can't kill them."

"But they killed Pat!" Gabriel stated.

"They didn't kill him, Kenneth did," Stephanie replied.

Glad we have that sorted out! That still leaves us with what are we going to do?" Jodi asked.

"I got it! We won't set them on fire! But we will set the gas station on fire!" Chris stated.

"WHAT?" they all asked.

"It will distract the horde without hurting them. It will give us a chance to escape," Chris replied.

"How do you know Kenneth won't tell the horde to walk into the fire as some kind of crazy sacrifice," Gabriel replied.

"He needs the horde to find us. As long as we're alive, they will stay alive," Chris replied. "Now, help me find something I can light like matches or a lighter."

"Here!" Greg stated as he threw Chris a lighter. "I use it to light my joints."

"Steph! Throw me a canaster of that lighter fluid!" Chris ordered as ripped a part of his shirt.

Stephanie threw him a canaster as Jodi poured another canaster on the floor.

"You should shut off the gas pumps," Chris remarked as he placed the rag into the canaster. "I don't want a fireball consuming the entire block up."

Greg nodded as he reached for a lever behind he counter. He switched off the gas for the pumps just as the horde began to get closer.

"Here they come!" Jodi shouted.

"Everyone! Out the back door! I'll deal with this!" Chris stated as he held the lighter over the homemade cocktail.

"What about you?" Stephanie asked.

"I'll be fine! Now! GO! GET OUT!" Chris shouted.

The group ran out the back door, all of them except Gabriel, who decided to stay behind. Not because he wanted to help, but because he was planning something sinister. When Chris was not looking, Gabriel reached over and pulled the lever behind the counter, refilling the pumps with gas.

"Gabe! Get out of here!" Chris ordered.

"Not without you!" Gabriel shouted trying to sound caring.

"I'm coming!" Chris yelled as he lit the cocktail and dropped it on the floor.

The lighter fluid caught and a great fire spread across the Gas and Go. It nearly singed the hairs off Chris and Gabriel's head. The two ran out as the fire reached its peak. The two of them made it safely outside when the fire reached the pumps of the gas station. It went off with a loud explosion that incinerated a quarter of the horde.

Chris turned and looked at Greg who was rejoining the two. Chris went up and punched him in the face in anger.

"You high son of a bitch!" he shouted.

"CHRIS!" Stephanie yelled.

"What did I do?" Greg asked as he tried to recover from the blow.

"You didn't turn the pumps off! People died!" Chris shouted.

"I did turn the pumps off! You all saw me!" Greg stated.

"Maybe they were off already and you just turned them back on," Jodi replied.

"…Or maybe you were to high to know which way was on and off!" Gabriel remarked.

"I know which way on and off is! I have worked there for the last few years!" Greg stated. "I know on and off like I know right from left."

"Oh yeah! Raise your left hand!" Gabriel ordered.

"It's this one right here!" Greg stated as he raised his hand. "…Or is it this one…No I'm positive it is this one! Though I can't be totally 100 percent sure."

"Oh! I'm so glad there is not a third option," Jodi remarked as he turned and saw the horde approaching. "Uh! Guys! HERE THEY COME!"

"You all know where to go right?" Chris asked.

"YEAH!" They all shouted.

"Split up and meet me there! NOW!" Chris yelled as the group headed off in three different directions.

Meanwhile, back at Kenneth's garage. Kenneth and Kelly Ann were both watching the drama unfold. Kenneth was holding the microphone as Kelly Ann flashed in and out of a television.

"This is Kenneth coming in live for Color Bar TV. This just in, a manhunt is on the way searching for five dangerous criminals. There description is that they are all backstabbing jerks who deserve to die. For more on the story, we turn to anchorwoman Kelly Ann Simmons. Kelly?" Kenneth addresses as the cameras zoomed in on the action.

"Thank you, Kenneth, as you can see, the mob is chasing five criminals through the woods in hopes of bringing them to justice. They had just committed the most unspeakable act by incinerating 25 percent of them at the local Gas and Go. The criminals think they can escape their crimes through the woods. Sadly, for them, they are mistaken. The mob is closing in and they will be punished for what they did…back to you Kenneth," Kelly Ann replied.

"More on this story later, and now for the weather," Kenneth replied with a smile.

In the woods, Greg and Jodi were running from the mob. They had reached a section of the woods and then they discovered that they were lost.

"Now which way do we go?" Jodi asked.

"Um! This way!" Greg shouted.

"You sure?" Jodi asked.

"Yes! Follow me!" Greg shouted as he ran down a path.

Jodi remained frozen with fear as he was unsure of which way to go. He had an answer very shortly after as Greg came running back down the path screaming "NOT THIS WAY! NOT THIS WAY!"

The two of them headed off in a different direction as the horde closed in. Stephanie and Gabriel ran down a different direction. They thought they had escaped. Unfortunately, the horde found them. Instead of being the man Gabriel was made to be, Gabriel took the cowardly way out and pushed Stephanie towards the horde as he ran off.

Stephanie fell down as the horde approached. She climbed into a log as the horde reached her. They began shaking the log violently and punching it hard enough that they broke through. Stephanie screamed as hands touched her from all sides. They latched on and began to pull her apart.

"HELP!" she screamed.

Chris came running up the hill and saw the horde trying to take Stephanie away. Armed with only a few rocks, Chris charged the horde throwing rocks and screaming. Telling the horde to back off.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" he shouted.

The horde looked up in unison. Kelly Ann, watching from the security cameras immediately knew who Chris was.

"Get him!" she stated.

The horde pointed their fingers at Chris and then charged him. Chris ran away screaming: "GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"

Stephanie did not hear him. All she knew was the horde was gone. When she thought she was alone, she crawled out of the log and ran towards the house on Newbolt Street.

Chris was being chased by the horde. He ran as fast as he could, but the horde was in full pursuit. He looked back to see how far they were and that's when he crashed into Jodi and Greg.

They three of them collided with each other and then the floor.

"What the hell?" Chris asked as he stood up on his feet.

"THERE COMING!" Jodi shouted.

"Where?" Chris asked.

"EVERYWHERE!" Greg yelled.

"Get down!" Chris ordered as the three of them hid among the underbrush.

The horde convened in the same location where Chris, Greg, and Jodi were hiding in. The horde stopped and let out a loud scream that caused the three of them to cover their ears. Kelly Ann was watching on the security cameras trying to figure out where they had gone.

"No! NO! NO! NO!" she yelled. "Where are they?"

"They have to be there, somewhere," Kenneth replied. "Just be patient and keep looking."

"I don't see them. I DON'T SEE THEM!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Look! There is someone," Kenneth replied as he pointed to the camera. It was none other than Gabriel Raziquil.

"I don't want him! I want Chris!" Kelly Ann stated.

Kenneth was taken aback by this. "You don't want Gabriel. You want Chris. What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Let me say it out slowly so you can understand. I…. WANT…. CHRIS!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Why?" Kenneth asked. "Besides being a loud mouth who swears more than eats, he is just an annoying bully. Now Gabriel, is a psycho son a bitch that I want to see six feet in the ground. That boy has caused me nothing but pain and misery since…forever."

Kelly Ann let out a chuckle. "Kenneth, Kenneth, Kenneth, you have reasons for wanting your enemies dead and I have a reason for why I want my enemies dead."

"What reason is that?" Kenneth asked.

"Oh Kenneth! I can't tell you!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Why not?" Kenneth asked.

"That will be spoiling it for you," Kelly Ann remarked.

Back in the woods, the three boys were hidden among the underbrush. The horde was getting closer. They could hear the underbrush being trampled by the sound of approaching footsteps. The three boys wanted to run but were paralyzed by fear.

As the horde approached, a loud frequency sound rippled through the air. The horde listened to it and placed their hands to their ears. They let out a loud screeching sound that was deafening to Chris, Jodi, and Greg.

"What's happening?" Greg asked.

"I don't know," Chris replied.

The horde let out their screech then one by one they collapsed to the ground in a coma. Kelly Ann and Kenneth saw this happened. Not one of them was pleased.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Ah! FUCK! What happened?" Kenneth asked as he pounded the TV screen. He turned to the side of the screen and saw Stephanie approaching the group. She was holding a device in her hand which caused Kenneth to let out a scream.

"OH! STEPHANIE!" he shouted.

Greg, Jodi, and Chris stood up and saw the horde sleeping among the underbrush. Gabriel and Stephanie approached the three. Chris noticed that Stephanie was holding a weird looking device. It looked like a telephone that was wired to an old fashion record player.

"What's that?" Jodi asked.

"The experiment," Stephanie replied. "Back in middle school, Kenneth and I were partners in the science fair. He built this device. He used a bunch of hold parts and created it."

"What does it do?" Jodi asked.

"It destroys frequencies on television sets," Stephanie replied. "We won first prize for this contraption. I remembered exactly how to build it, so I took several parts from the Gas and Go and constructing it using and tools I was able to find."

"Great! Now we have a weapon to use against Kenneth!" Jodi stated.

"Yeah! No thanks to Gabriel," Stephanie remarked.

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"That son a bitch left me!" Stephanie stated.

"That's not true!" Gabriel stated.

"You pushed me!" Stephanie yelled.

"Did not!" Gabriel yelled.

"Did too!" Stephanie shouted back.

"Did NOT!" Gabriel shouted.

"DID TOO!" Stephanie yelled back.

"Is this true?" Chris asked.

"No! It's all lies! We were running and Stephanie fell. I tried to go over and help her up but the horde was coming," Gabriel replied. "Sorry for leaving you."

"Look we don't have time to argue!" Jodi stated.

"Yeah! Who knows what else Kenneth is planning to do to us if we stay out here in the open," Greg replied.

"Let's put our aggression and our petty squalors behind us for now. We have to get to the house to be safe," Chris replied.

"But…" Stephanie said as she tried to get the last word in.

"Not now!" Chris ordered as he led the group towards the house on Newbolt Street.

The house was dark when the group went inside. It was as if the house had no life inside, no soul. Nothing was stirring inside, not even any creatures that were supposed to be living in the run-down establishment. Jodi and Greg went through a broken boarded up window while Chris and Stephanie went through the front door. Gabriel was creative and crawled through a crawlspace under the house to get inside.

The five met up in what was once the living room. Each looked around at the charred remains of the house, since it was gutted by a fire some ten-years prior. It was in such a disarray that the object would turn to ash as soon as you touched them.

"What a place," Greg replied.

"It gives me the creeps," Stephanie remarked.

"Are you sure Kenneth can't find us?" Gabriel asked.

"Pretty sure," Chris replied.

"What do you mean 'pretty sure'?" Gabriel asked.

"I mean pretty sure," Chris replied.

"But you're not certain! That's great!" Gabriel remarked as he threw his hands in the hair.

"Look! This is the best I could do under these certain circumstances! There's no electricity in this house, so they can't track us or brainwash us. Kenneth does not know this place despite living here most of his life, so I think it is safe to say we're pretty safe in here," Chris replied.

Stephanie looked out the window to see if she could see anyone. There was no one in sight.

"So, what do we do?" Jodi asked. "Sit here until help arrives."

"I don't think help is coming," Chris replied.

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't know how badly this Color Bars program is," Chris replied. "I don't know if its just here or if this is worldwide. We could be the last sane humans left on earth."

"If that's the case then we'd better get working on repopulating the earth, right Steph!" Gabriel joked in which Stephanie gave him a hard knock on the shoulder in disgust.

"Way to think with your pants, Gabe," Greg remarked.

"This isn't a time for jokes! This is serious! We have to do something otherwise we're all going to die!" Chris stated.

"What would you have us do?" Jodi asked.

Chris took a long pause. He took a deep breath and took his time saying what he was going to say because he knew the others would think he was crazy.

"I say we take the battle to Kenneth and stop Color Bars once and for all!" were the words he blurted out.

"Are you crazy?" Gabriel asked thinking his friend was actually crazy.

"What else is there to do?" Chris asked.

"Run! We could run as far away from here as we can!" Gabriel stated.

"Run where? If this is global, we will always be looking over our shoulder for Kenneth. This way, we can stop him once and for all," Chris replied.

"How do we know shutting off Color Bars will free everyone from the trance?" Greg asked.

"I don't know if it will. The only thing I can do is hope that once Color Bars is off, that it all goes back to normal," Chris replied.

"What if it doesn't go back to normal?" Jodi asked.

"We'll cross that bridge once we get over it," Chris replied hoping that answer was enough.

Jodi kept pressing wanting to be sure they would succeed in their task.

"What if things don't go back to normal!" he shouted.

"Then we'll persuade Kenneth to make things go back to normal," Chris replied.

"How do we do that?" Gabriel asked.

"We're pretty persuasive when we want to be," Chris replied.

"Yeah! We are! We can make him do it!" Gabriel chuckled with a smile.

"Don't hurt him," Stephanie replied.

"Steph! That boy killed my best friend! He is dangerous!" Gabriel stated.

"He's still my friend and he is a lot better person than you!" Stephanie stated.

"WHY YOU!" Gabriel shouted as he stood up to punch her. Chris got in the way to break up the fight.

"We won't hurt him unless we need to protect ourselves," he replied. "We just want things to go back to normal. Right Gabe?"

"Right," Gabriel replied as he settled down.

"Good! Now that we have our differences set aside let's gear up. We're going to war," Chris replied as he planned to lead his group to take on Kenneth and Kelly Ann Simmons at Color Bars.

Meanwhile, inside Kenneth's garage. Kenneth and Kelly Ann were scanning TV monitors across the county searching for the group. Kelly Ann went through the frequencies while Kenneth did the old fashion way and visually search the security system in hopes that he would find them.

"Any luck?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Nothing," Kenneth replied. "It's like they vanished off the face of the earth."

"We know that's not possible, so keep looking!" Kelly Ann stated.

"You know, I'm getting real tired of this! I'm about ready to let them go!" Kenneth stated. Kelly Ann appeared on the TV and yelled at him.

"DON'T DO THAT!" she shouted.

"Why not?" Kenneth asked. "It's only five people, and yes, I know they are my mortal enemies, but we have the entire town! Maybe the world! We have enough people to make a point! Let's just end it now so we can be together forever."

Kelly Ann shook her head as she tried to get Kenneth to see the big picture.

"Kenneth, Kenneth, Kenneth, this is more than just making a point. It's about vengeance. Getting what we want when others said we could not. Those people have criticized your gender for years: Gabriel with the punching, Chris with the cursing, Jodi with the assault, Stephanie with the flirting, and Greg with being repulsed by you. If we let them go, they will be the only survivors alive."

"But," Kenneth replied as he tried to get a word in.

"They will survive. They will make up stories that you were the bad guy. That you did all of this just because you're crazy! Are you crazy?" Kelly Ann asked.

"No," Kenneth replied.

"I know you're not, but the world will see it that way. The world will make them the heroes and us the villains just like it always does," Kelly Ann replied.

"That's not fair!" Kenneth stated.

"The world isn't fair!" Kelly Ann exclaimed as her body slowly came out of the television. She touched the side of Kenneth's cheek in a true embrace. Her body looked like she did in the drawing except static airwaves replaced her skin. "But we can amend this, simply by eliminating all those who stand against us. We need to be strong, Kenneth. Are you strong?"

"Yes," Kenneth replied. "Yes, I am."

"Are you sure?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Yes," Kenneth replied. "I am strong."

Kelly Ann chuckled at this. "Ha! The last time I trusted a Simmons I was shot at by a feeble and frail young housewife. The vessel broke and I was betrayed. I don't want the same thing happening this time."

"You worked with a Simmons?" Kenneth asked.

"A long time ago," Kelly Ann replied. "I worked with one of your relatives. He wanted my help in something, so I helped him. Then I wanted his help in something and he betrayed me. I never saw it coming. I thought we were partners, but I was wrong. I learned a valuable lesson from my mistakes. Be careful who you trust because in the end they all betray the ones closest to them. Are you going to betray me?"

"Never!" Kenneth stated. "You are me, and I am you!"

"Good, now let's find those brats and show the world what we are made of!" Kelly Ann exclaimed.

"Yes! But how are we going to do this! They are not showing up on the cameras, and you can't find them through the system. What are we going to do?" Kenneth asked.

"Right, do we still have control over the people?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Good news is yes, I have control over them," Kenneth replied.

"What's the bad news?" Kelly Ann asked always knowing that there is bad news.

"There in a deep sleep," Kenneth replied. "I can't wake them."

"…And another reason why we want our enemies caught!" Kelly Ann stated. "They have a weapon that can stop us. How long are they going to be asleep for?"

"It could be a couple of hours to a couple of days," Kenneth replied.

"UGH! What is this contraption that the deaf girl has?" Kelly Ann asked wanting to throw a fit of rage.

"It's a device that she and I created while working in a science fair. It was supposed to be able to make her hear again. Instead, it breaks apart television frequencies. I called it a blocker," Kenneth replied.

"Why on earth did you call it that?" Kelly Ann asked.

"I made it out of Legos, don't mock me!" Kenneth stated.

"So, this blocker. It blocks television frequencies. Can it intercept our signal and our control over the people?" Kelly Ann asked.

"With the right tweaking, yes it can," Kenneth replied.

This caused Kelly Ann to panic more. She got all upset that all the TV's were flashing lights and sending off sounds all over the garage.

"That device can break the vessel. That device can break the vessel!" she stated.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it? Go door to door until I find them?" Kenneth asked.

"Oh! You're not going door to door, but someone else is," Kelly Ann replied.

"Who?" Kenneth asked.

"Follow me," Kelly Ann replied as she went from TV to TV until she came to the back of the house.

At the back, there was a giant tarp covering a large object. There were wires coming out from underneath, making it look like a spaceship.

"What is it?" Kenneth asked.

"Go ahead and find out," Kelly Ann replied.

Kenneth ripped the tarp off as the giant contraption came to life. It was a giant TV that had several ginormous wires coming out of it like tentacles. A yellow smiley face was plastered over the screen. It looked like the logo for Wal-Mart was plastered onto the Ultra-Flowery Mech in the final boss battle in Undertale. The TV came to life and began walking around on its tentacles. This fascinated Kenneth.

"What is it?" Kenneth asked.

"It's me," Kelly Ann replied.

"I don't get it," Kenneth replied.

"Well, it's not me…me…. but me," Kelly Ann replied. "Let me explain. It's my conscious. I implanted my conscious into the TV in hopes that it will go around and find the group we are looking for."

"How did you do this?" Kenneth asked.

"I built it for you using the leftover TV's. I knew if something happened and Color Bars failed that we needed to immediately switch to plan B. This is it, Plan B. I call it a Roamer," Kelly Ann replied.

"A roamer?" Kenneth asked in a joking way thinking the name was ridiculous.

"If you called your invention a blocker, I can call mine a roamer!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Does it work?" Kenneth asked.

"Go ahead and find out," Kelly Ann replied. "She only follows your commands."

Kenneth looked at the giant TV and pointed towards the town. "Go and bring me Stephanie, Chris, Jodi, Gabriel, and Greg. Alive or dead, I don't really care which."

The roamer flashed the words on its screen. It said: Yes, master.

It then wandered off into the woods, searching for the group as Kelly Ann burst out with laughter.

"They won't survive the night. The roamer will either find them or they will run out of resources and eventually die. It's won't be long now," she replied.

"You're right it won't be long now," Kenneth added. "It's won't be long now."


	4. Chapter 4: There's Nothing Here

"Okay, so we will come from the north. We will spread up in five different directions. I'll take the garage while Jodi takes the attic. Stephanie and Greg will go through the kitchen while Gabriel heads through the living room," Chris replied.

"…And how do you know Kenneth will be inside his own house?" Gabriel asked.

"Where else will he be? Kenneth has no secret hideouts or anything like that. He has to be there. There is nowhere else he could hide," Chris replied.

"…And why do we care about saving the town from Kenneth's grasp?" Gabriel asked.

"I went over this! There is no coming to save us. We are the last survivors of this town. We need to save everyone from Kenneth before it's too late," Chris replied.

"We also have to save Kenneth, he may be the only person that can end whatever he is doing," Stephanie added.

"Why can't we just stay here" Gabriel asked.

"Okay, Gabriel, if you want to stay here and live off of can food and Mentos you can be my guest, but the rest of us are going in and stopping this before anyone else gets hurt," Chris replied.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Gabriel asked as he took his friend aside.

"What is it?" Chris asked having a private moment with Gabe.

"What has gotten in to you?" Gabriel asked. "What is with you and saving the world crap? We are the types of people that want to see the world burn. Why do you want to save it so badly?"

"Because the person destroying the world is Kenneth. We don't want our history books saying that Kenneth committed all this and not us!" Chris stated. "Besides, Kenneth is out to kill all of us."

"That's why I say we go into hiding. Kenneth doesn't know about this place so we will be safe," Gabriel remarked.

"Until what? We run out of food or water? We won't survive. Kenneth is out for blood and he will not stop until he has it. Kenneth is itching for a fight so the best course of action is to bring the fight to him," Chris replied.

"So, we kill him?" Gabriel asked.

"I told you, we are not going to kill him!" Chris stated.

"Why not?" Gabriel asked.

"We might need him for later. He might be the only person that can shut off whatever it is that is controlling everyone," Chris replied.

"Is there another reason were keeping Kenneth alive?" Gabriel asked looking curious at his friend.

"No, there is no other reason," Chris replied as he started to sweat.

"There is another reason," Gabriel replied as he looked over Chris's shoulder to see Stephanie to the side. "Is it her?"

"What! NO!?" Chris stated.

"IT IS! You like her! Holy shit!" Gabriel exclaimed.

"I don't! We're just together under these certain circumstances!" Chris stated.

Gabriel smiled as he placed his arm around his old friend. "Let me tell you of five things that will never come to pass: pigs will never fly, the Cubs will never win a world series, video games will never upgrade past Pac-man, Trump, no matter how handsome he is will never be president, and you my friend will never be with Stephanie Glass."

Chris shrugged off his friend arm, "Look, I don't like her. I'm just dealing with the cards I was dealt with. When this is over, we will go back to doing what we used to do."

"But I want to do it now," Gabriel whined.

"Well, you have to be patient. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders," Chris replied.

"Well, I wish it wasn't. I don't want to save this fucked up world! What has the world ever done for us? It fucked us up so let's fuck it back!" Gabriel stated.

"It's not about us anymore! There are other lives at stake here! We need to put away our selfish desires and our own personal fears just for a little while. We have to do this to stop Kenneth, otherwise Wilmington and maybe the entire world will cease to exist," Chris replied.

Gabriel could not bring himself to accept Chris's logic. He was still stuck up on himself, and his own fear at what was going on was keeping him from wanting to help out.

"This is a suicide mission," Gabriel replied. "He's going to win, and there is nothing we can do about it."

"We can fight back!" Chris exclaimed. "We might win."

"There is no might when it comes to Kenneth! It's either total victory or total defeat, and right now I believe there is only going to be total defeat!" Gabriel yelled.

"We'll have a better chance if we all do this together! We will succeed if we do this as a team!" Chris stated.

Gabriel looked over Chris's shoulder again and saw both Stephanie and Greg talking to each other. A deep hatred for those two came over him. It was strong enough to repulse him.

"I can't do it!" he stated. "You guys can go on your little mission. I'm going to try and make it to the county line."

"You're not going to make it!" Chris stated.

"How do you know?" Gabriel asked in disbelief. "I'll make it! Besides, there might be people over there that can help us! You know, the proper authorities."

"Why leave?" Chris asked. "If we all do this together…"

"There is that key word that repulses me beyond anything! Working together! With her, the deaf girl. The girl of your dreams! Why do we have to work with her?" Gabriel asked. "Why can't we just do this mono el mono?"

"Because Pat is dead and everyone else is brainwashed! It's all hands-on deck when dealing with the apocalypse!" Chris stated.

"But I don't trust her," Gabriel replied.

"I don't care!" Chris exclaimed. "We need her…and wait! Why don't you trust her?"

"The only person that I trust is me!" Gabriel stated in a catchy tune.

"Suit yourself," Chris replied. "We're staying."

"Well, I'm probably never going to see you again, so, bye," Gabriel replied. "You are all going to die."

With that, Gabriel turned and walked out of the house. Chris returned and joined his friends as they planned their mission.

"Where's Gabriel?" Stephanie asked.

"He's left the building," Chris replied.

"To get more food?" Jodi asked.

"No," Chris replied.

"To get help?" Greg asked.

"No, he left us," Chris replied.

"Without saying good-bye?" Jodi asked.

"He's scared, so he turned tail and ran," Chris replied.

"So, he abandoned us!" Stephanie stated.

"Looks like it," Chris replied.

"Well, screw him!" Greg stated. "We don't need him!

"Yeah! We can save the world all by ourselves!" Stephanie stated.

Chris let out a sigh as he placed his hand over his head. "I hope you're all right," he simply replied as the group wet back to working on strategy.

Meanwhile, at Kenneth's house. Kelly Ann was busy working on entertaining the audience. She was busy placing on several different tunes that kept the audience busy. Kenneth was in the back doing a simple wardrobe change.

"I'm ready!" he stated as he put on a new outfit.

"Come on out! Kenneth! Show the world your new look!" Kelly Ann stated.

Kenneth came out wearing the same outfit that he had drawn Kelly Ann in. He was wearing a colorful vest which was multicolored. He was also wearing denim shorts that were multicolored. The right side was blue like a pair of blue jeans while the left side was red with white polka dots. He had his hair trimmed and pulled back as if to look like a girl. He was going to become a girl all for his imaginary friend who was his true and only friend.

"Wow!" Kelly Ann stated. "You look beautiful."

"It's all for you," Kenneth replied.

"It's wonderful!" Kelly Ann praised. "You have the looks spot on. You are going to make a beautiful woman."

"Then let's do the transformation now!" Kenneth stated. "The ratings will soar and we will be happy forever!"

"Not yet," Kelly Ann replied. "Even though this is what we both want there is still the elephant in the room."

"Right, our enemies," Kenneth replied. "The roamer is scanning the town as we speak. They won't remain hidden for long."

"We need to find them, Kenneth. They have a device that can stop our plans. If they activate the device near our station, it will break the control we have on the people. If that happens we can never be together like you want us too. We have to find them Kenneth!" Kelly Ann stated.

"As I said, the roamer is scanning the entire area. They won't remain hidden for long," Kenneth replied.

Just as he said this, a red light started flashing in the studio. Both Kelly Ann and Kenneth turned towards the screen.

"It found someone!" Kenneth stated.

"But who?" Kelly Ann asked hoping for Stephanie Glass or Chris.

"I don't know and I don't care! It got someone!" Kenneth stated as he grabbed his microphone. "Breaking news citizens of Wilmington! This just in! The roamer is in pursuit of one of my enemies. It has cornered him or her between North Avenue and the train tracks. It won't be long before we get some actual action! Let's turn to our co-anchor Kelly Ann to get some feedback at what she thinks will happen."

Kenneth then handed over the microphone to Kelly Ann. "So, Kelly Ann, what do you think is going to happen? Will the roamer rip him or her into two or will it electrocute this person to death?"

"Well, Kenneth, I have a special thing in store if it is who I think it is. If it isn't, I have another special thing in store for this person," Kelly Ann replied with a laugh.

"Okay! Well, let's zoom in to see who or what we're dealing with!" Kenneth stated.

The camera zoomed in and the whole town saw Gabriel Raziquil running from a giant TV. He jumped onto the train tracks and was hoping to escape, but he could not. The giant wires coming out of the TV grabbed him and pulled him into the air. Gabriel let out a scream as the TV pulled him close.

"Whoa! I bet he is soiling himself right about now! Man! I wish that really happened! I really hate Gabriel Raziquil and I want to make him suffer!" Kenneth stated.

Kenneth then grabbed the microphone and tapped it several times. "Hello, Gabriel, can you hear me?" he asked as he spoke through the roamer.

"Kenneth, is that you?" Gabriel asked.

"It is," Kenneth replied with a laugh. "Do you like what I have done?"

"What is it?" Gabriel asked.

"We call it a roamer," Kenneth replied. "Kelly Ann built it. What do you think of it? Impressive?"

"Put me down!" Gabriel ordered trying to free himself from the roamers clutches.

"Uh! Gabriel, you're not in the position to order me around! Man! You used to do that to me a lot! Order me around! Beat me up! Now, I have the power to do this! What should I do first? Rip you in two or decapitate you! Oh! They are both good ideas, but I think I am going to rip you in two!" Kenneth stated.

Gabriel flinched as he saw what was coming. However, something different happened. The roamer placed Gabriel on the ground and released him. Both Kenneth and Gabriel were confused.

"What just happened?" Kenneth asked as he frantically began pushing buttons.

"I released him," Kelly Ann replied as she went back into the TV.

"Why?" Kenneth asked looking confused.

"Yeah, why?" Gabriel asked looking even more confused.

Kenneth turned to the TV. "Uh! Excuse us for a moment kind audience but we are experiencing more technical difficulties." He then placed his hand over the camera.

"Why are we releasing him?" Kenneth asked. "He's my mortal enemy!"

"Gabriel, are you hearing this?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Yes," Gabriel replied staring at the roamer.

"You are Kenneth's mortal enemy, right?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Yes," Gabriel replied expecting Kenneth to snap and rip him in two.

"You are only one of Kenneth's enemies. There are four others. We want them all. I suppose you know where they are," Kelly Ann replied.

"I do," Gabriel replied.

"I suppose if you can help out a little bit it will go along way in saving your life," Kelly Ann remarked.

"How so?" Gabriel asked wanting a clear picture at what he was getting.

"Let's just say it's good. You help us out and I will talk Kenneth into letting you live," Kelly Ann replied.

"WHAT?!" Kenneth asked.

"Yeah! What he said!" Gabriel remarked.

"Shut up!" Kenneth stated pointing to the monitor. "Kelly Ann, I did not agree to this!"

"Kenneth, you have to see the big picture. So, we could kill him and get revenge for like five seconds, but if we keep him around and make him serve you, imagine how long your revenge will last! Instead of him controlling you, you control him!" Kelly Ann stated.

"You know I can still hear you two right," Gabriel remarked.

"Shut up!" Kelly Ann stated pointing to the monitor.

"I see, use him to find the others, then we spare his life," Kenneth replied.

"Yeah, for now," Kelly Ann replied.

"I heard that!" Gabriel stated.

"Oh, he is such an annoying bastard!" Kenneth stated.

"I heard that too!" Gabriel yelled.

Meanwhile, back at the Newbolt residence. The team was getting ready to ship out. Stephanie was busy tweaking the blocker when Chris approached her.

"What are you doing?" he asked in sign language.

"I'm fixing up this machine," Stephanie signed back. "If I can get this close enough to Kenneth's signal. It may be enough to break it."

"Break what? His heart?" Chris singed as he tried to insert a little humor in the situation.

"No, stupid!" Stephanie stated. "Not his heart but the frequency. I believe this will save everyone."

Chris smiled at this as he handed Stephanie a bottle. It was a bottle of her favorite drink Moxie.

"You got one!" Stephanie stated.

"I thought you would like this. It is your favorite soda," Chris replied as he handed her the glass bottle.

"…And it's in a glass bottle! These are expensive!" Stephanie stated.

"Only the best for a good friend!" Chris stated as he took another bottle himself. The two opened them and clanged them together.

"A toast! A toast to us for trying to save the world!" Chris stated.

"Here! Here!" Stephanie remarked as the two took a huge sip from their bottles. Chris started choking and fell to his knees.

"UGH! It tastes like batter acid mixed with Old Spice! Help!" Chris stated.

"It's not that bad," Stephanie remarked. "It is an acquired taste."

"It still sucks!" Chris stated as he began to pour his out on the floor.

"Don't do that!" Stephanie stated. "I'll drink it!"

"Here, help yourself!" Chris stated as he handed her the bottle.

As she took a sip, she began to remember the good old days with her and Kenneth. "I remember the first time Kenneth tried Moxie. We were sitting in the park and he saw me drinking out of the orange soda can. He came over and asked what I was drinking. I handed him over the can and he took a huge sip. The reaction was priceless. He made a huge sour face and coughed just like you did. It was one of the first times we ever met."

"He stayed with you even though you tried to poison him," Chris joked. "How sweet."

Stephanie began to remember other times she spent with Kenneth. The first time at the beach, the science fair project they did together, the day Kenneth took Stephanie fishing and she caught more and bigger fish than he did. All of this caused Stephanie to have emotional flashbacks. She began to cry.

Chris used his finger to wipe away her tears. He gave her a gentle hug and tried to comfort her as best as he could.

"Don't worry, we'll save him. I promise you, we'll save him," Chris replied.

"Thanks," Stephanie replied as she smiled back. She was just about to kiss him when Jodi came into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" Jodi asked.

"Nothing!" Chris stated as he pulled back from Stephanie.

"We're you two having a moment?" Jodi asked.

"No!" Stephanie stated.

"Well, you two can, I don't care if I see a little skin, not into all that kind of stuff," Jodi replied.

"Right! Into men! We all know!" Chris stated.

"…And don't you forget it!" Jodi stated.

"Can we get back to trying to save the world?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes, blah-blah-blah, save the world, stop the frequency, save Kenneth, more blah-blah-blah," Jodi replied.

"Don't mock her!" Chris ordered. "We have to save Kenneth. We might need him to shut off Color-Blah's or whatever he's calling whatever he's doing."

"I know, I know…it's just…. well, after we save him and shut off what he's doing. Then what? What happens next?" Jodi asked.

"We beg for his forgiveness and we accept his," Stephanie replied as she took a sip of Moxie.

"How do we do that?" Jodi asked.

"I don't know? You'll think of something!" Chris stated.

"Hey, maybe I can unzip my pants and tell him to suck it!" Jodi stated. "He is gay after all!"

"Get out of here!" Chris ordered.

"I'm joking! I'm joking!" Jodi replied as he turned away. He began to walk when several wires grabbed him and pulled him into the darkness. He let out a yelp as he disappeared. Chris heard this tiny noise and stood up. He turned and faced the hallway.

"Jodi! Why did you make that noise! What happened?" Chris asked.

Stephanie stood up and followed close behind. The two made it outside the door when they saw the giant TV standing in the middle of the room. Jodi had wires going into his mouth as tears ran down his face. He was extended into the air so there was no way he could escape. This is when Greg Hoffman walked into the room.

"Hey, guys, everything is all set…HOLY MAMA! What the hell is that?!" he asked as he pointed to the giant roamer.

An electric current came from the roamers wires. They went all the way into Jodi's mouth.

"Suck on this!" was all it said before the current went into Jodi's mouth. Jodi was electrocuted. He lit up like a thousand Christmas trees and smelled like a thousand burnt turkeys. When the roamer was done, Jodi's body was thrown to the floor and smashed into a pile of ashes.

"RUN!" Chris shouted before the roamer attacked them.

The wires went in all directions through the walls and the floor. It ripped huge chunks of debris and hurled them towards Stephanie. Chris jumped in the way and pushed her. The debris slammed into his head knocking him unconscious. The house began to creek and crumble under all the assaults.

"It's coming down!" Greg shouted.

"Head to the front door!" Stephanie yelled as she dragged Chris from behind. The group escaped before the house came tumbling down in front of them. The roamer let out a loud roar before charging the group.

Kenneth and Kelly Ann were watching from the studio and smiling with glee had what was going down. Kenneth took hold of the microphone and began reporting to his captive audience.

"This just in…Our roamer has located the group and has successfully killed one of them. Now, only three people remain alive. It won't be long now before they are all eliminated!" Kenneth stated.

"There is no escape from our roamer for you see, this device uses the most advance technology. It tracks body heat and noise. There is no way those three will be able to escape!" Kelly Ann added.

"Let's zoom in and see what kind of mayhem will go down!" Kenneth stated.

The cameras went live as they zoomed in out Stephanie, Chris, and Greg as they were hiding from the roamer.

"What are we going to do?" Greg asked.

"I don't know," Stephanie replied as she tried to wake up Chris. She poured the last bit of Moxie onto his face. It went into his mouth as he began choking on the horrible taste.

"Ugh! Why do I taste batter acid?" Chris asked as he looked up and saw the roamer. "What the hell is that?"

"A gift from Kenneth! We need to find a way to take it out!" Greg shouted.

The roamer slammed a giant wire down on top of them. The group jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit. The roamer sent out several shockwaves sending the three of them across the street. The roamer attacked grabbing a hold of all three of them. Kelly Ann appeared on the TV and smiled at what she had accomplished.

"How does it feel to lose?" Kelly Ann asked.

"We haven't lost yet!" Stephanie remarked as she took hold of the blocker. She pushed a button as she pointed to at the roamer. The roamer let out a scream as it released all of them. The three of them hit the ground and ran off. The roamer pursued them.

"You think you can get away with this? I am everywhere! I can see everything! I know what your next move is before you make it! I will find and crush you all!" Kelly Ann stated as her roamer scanned the area. It locked onto Stephanie's body heat and attacked her.

"Give me that device!" Kelly Ann yelled through the TV.

"NEVER!" Stephanie yelled.

"I just need the device! Give it to me!" Kelly Ann stated as he roamer locked onto Stephanie. Its wires reached up and grabbed her. It held her high in the air. The wires wrapped around the blocker and tried to rip it out of her hand.

"LET GO!" Kelly Ann shouted.

Stephanie held onto it as if her life depended on it because it did. Greg and Chris were watching from the bushes. Both of them were scared but they knew they had to do something.

"What are we going to do?" Greg asked.

"I don't know," Chris replied. "We have to find someway to stop it!"

"I have ab idea!" Greg shouted.

"What is it?" Chris asked.

Greg did not answer. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and charge the roamer. The roamer shot a bolt of electricity at Greg. The shock knocked him unconscious and into the air. The roamer grabbed him with its wires and began electrocute him.

"Let go or he dies!" Kelly Ann stated.

Stephanie refused to let go, so the roamer had no choice but to shock Greg. Chris saw this happening. Using his head, he ran into the streets and ripped open a manhole. He grabbed the lid and began swinging it.

"Hey! Kelly! Watch this!" Chris shouted as he threw the lid at the roamer. It hit the TV on the top of its head cracking the screen and crunching it a bit.

Kelly Ann screamed as she looked over and saw Chris.

"CHRIS!" she yelled.

This gave Stephanie an opening she was looking for. She shocked the roamer again and was able to get free. She jumped onto the TV's head and began shocking it with the blocker. The roamer dropped Greg onto the floor violently. Chris ran over and dragged him away.

"Greg! Wake up! We need you!" Chris shouted.

"Hot wings," Greg replied with a goofy smile plastered over his face.

"Greg! You high son of a bitch! Wake up!" Chris shouted.

"Oh! Hi Chris! You smell something cooking?" Greg asked.

"Greg! We need a way to stop that thing!" Chris stated.

"I don't know how to stop it," Greg replied.

"Come on Greg think!" Chris stated.

"Chris, it's not like I fight giant TV's every day," Greg replied. "I don't know how to defeat it!"

"It looks like it is superior than any piece of technology that we have. There may be no way to defeat it," Chris remarked.

"What about water?" Greg asked. "Get any electronic wet and it will fry! No electronic is waterproof! Just get it wet!"

"Greg! You're a genius! I could kiss you!" Chris remarked.

"Let's not," Greg replied. "You're the second person this week who has offered that, and I'm not sure how to react to that."

Chris shook his head as he looked around for the biggest spot filled with water. He saw a pond and an idea came to him.

"Stephanie! The pond!" Chris shouted.

Stephanie did not hear Chris shout; however, she saw him pointing towards the pond. She nodded as she jumped off the roamer and ran towards Chris. The two began running towards the pond.

Greg smiled as he looked at the two of them, "Oh, that's so sweet… OH SHIT!" he shouted as the roamer came running towards him. He jumped up and ran with Chris and Stephanie.

"What's the plan?" Greg asked.

"To the bridge!" Chris shouted.

"It's not wide enough!" Greg shouted. "That TV is huge!"

"That's the point!" Chris yelled as his foot touch the beginning of the old stone bridge. The three of them began running across but stopped in the middle of the bridge. They turned and faced the roamer with absolutely no fear in them because they knew they had the upper hand. Stephanie held up the blocker and pointed it to the roamer.

"Want this Kelly? Come and get it!" she shouted.

"It's Kelly Ann!" Kelly Ann yelled as the roamer began crossing the old stone bridge.

"Let's get out of here!" Greg stated.

"Wait! We need it to come onto the middle of the bridge!" Chris yelled.

"What?" Greg asked.

"Wait!" Chris ordered.

The roamer wrapped its wires around the bridge as it crawled ever closer.

"It's getting closer!" Greg shouted.

"Wait!" Chris ordered.

"My confidence is fading away!" Greg shouted.

The roamer made it to the middle of the bridge and was about to strike when Chris yelled: "RUN!"

The three of them ran just as the roamer brought down its wires and broke the bridge. The giant TV fell into the water and was electrocuted. The TV sank to the bottom of the pond. Chris, Stephanie, and Greg made it to shore just as the wires swayed in the air in a last-ditch attempt to save itself. Stephanie tapped Chris on the back and smiled at him.

"Good job," she replied.

Chris smiled back just as Greg stood up and looked into the waters. The TV floated to shore and began flashing. Kelly Ann appeared on it and began playing Color Bars in a last-ditch attempt to brainwash the three. Chris saw it coming and yelled: "Don't watch the screen!"

"Cover your ears!" Stephanie ordered.

Greg and Chris covered their ears as Color Bars played.

"There's nothing here…for you to see, for you to see…to see you…. I'm already here…for you too see, for you too see…I see you. I've always been here…for you to see, for you too see…I see you!" Kelly Ann chanted.

"Don't look!" Stephanie ordered.

"I've been here since the beginning! I know what has happened and what will happen! I control your lives! They are just shards of glass in a mirror. Two have been broken, you are next. You will not win. I have foreseen your defeat. Give up now and your end will be painless. Just let me win, fighting is pointless. Give up now, GIVE UP!" Kelly Ann commanded.

Chris walked over and punched the TV Screen. It shattered shutting off Color Bars. Kelly Ann watched it happened and screamed as she realized she had lost.

Kenneth saw Kelly Ann's frustration. He turned to the camera and glared at the audience.

"Uh! We will be right back after these messages," he replied as the screen flashed color bars. "Did you get them?"

"Does it look like I got them?" Kelly Ann asked.

"How did they escape?" Kenneth asked. "I thought this device was invincible!"

"It's that girl! Stephanie Glass! Her abilities make it impossible to control her! She's going to be a real threat to us!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Is she coming here?" Kenneth asked.

"Where else do you think she's going to go? McDonalds?" Kelly Ann snapped.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to get touchy," Kenneth replied.

Kelly Ann let out a sigh. She then approached and stroke Kenneth's hair.

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just under a lot of pressure. They are getting closer. If they make it here and activate that blocker, it could mean the end for all of us."

"There not going to end us! We can stop them!" Kenneth stated.

"How?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Do you have anymore roamers?" Kenneth asked.

"One, but its not ready yet," Kelly Ann asked.

"Finish it, we can use it to capture our enemies," Kenneth replied.

"But what if they find a way to destroy it?" Kelly Ann asked. "That blocker is powerful enough to destroy Color Bars. What if…"

"Don't think about it!" Kenneth stated interrupting his good friend. "They're not going to destroy Color Bars. I promise you that!"

"How though?" Kelly Ann asked. "How can you promise me this? We have no roamers and the majority of the citizens of this town are in a deep sleep. What are we going to do?"

"We still have one card left up our sleeves," Kenneth replied.

"You don't mean," Kelly Ann replied.

"I do," Kenneth remarked. "Look, I hate him with every bone in my body, but were running out of options here. We have to use him."

Kelly Ann nodded as she knew what they had to do. The camera focused on the two as soon as the messages ended.

"…And were back, and this time we're not alone! Joining Kelly Ann and I is our very special guest. You know him from around town, you love him, you hate him, you love to hate him! It's Gabriel Raziquil!" Kenneth stated.

The camera focused on Gabriel, who was still frozen near the railroad tracks. The sounds of Color Bars had gotten to him. He could not move or escape. The only thing he could do was obey.

"Why am I still here?" he asked.

"We need you Gabe," Kenneth replied.

"Wow! That's a first!" Gabriel remarked.

"Don't get smart!" Kenneth stated. "We need you to do a special mission."

"Do a mission! For you? Ha!" Gabriel stated. "Have you forgotten that you killed my friends Pat Moya and Jodi Foster? Now, you come crawling to me so that I can do your dirty work? Ha! You're a bigger disappointment that I had first thought!"

"He's not cooperating," Kenneth replied.

"Then he's useless," Kelly Ann replied. "Do away with him!"

"Look folks! The 6PM train is coming! Time to see what happens when a person just happens to be walking on the tracks at this time!" Kenneth stated. "Gabe, start walking on the tracks."

"What? NO!" Gabriel shouted.

However, Gabriel could not stop himself for what he was about to do. The frequencies commanded him to follow the voice of Kenneth. Placing one foot in front of the other, Gabriel began walking on the train tracks. Gabriel heard the train in the background. The whistle was bellowing loudly as it approached the young man. Sure, it was still far away in the distance, but that sound meant death, and it was death that Gabriel Raziquil could not escape.

"CUT IT OUT KENNETH!" Gabriel pleaded but it was falling on deaf ears.

"Do you want to know what happens when a train hits a body at 200 mph. SPLAT! Blood and guts go all over the place! It will be a sight to see!" Kenneth stated as he turned towards the audience.

"Everyone out there! Echo loudly if you want to see that happen?" Kelly Ann asked as he face appeared on every television in the area.

There was a loud shriek as thousands of voices echoed as one. This caused both Kelly Ann and Kenneth to smile. Kenneth focused the camera onto Gabriel just as the young man began to run.

"Can't escape now! Can you Gabe?" Kenneth asked.

"This is so entertaining!" Kelly Ann remarked.

"Entertainment! It's what you audience crave so badly! Death is fast approaching! You want to see this happen! It's an urge that you cannot control! You crave the violence! You crave the death! Echo in one voice if I am right!" Kenneth ordered.

The whole town echoed.

"I can't here you! Echo if you crave his death!" Kenneth ordered.

The whole town echoed.

"Sing people of Wilmington North Carolina! Sing as death fast approaches!" Kenneth stated.

The TV's began flashing several words just as Kelly Ann transported herself into the TV. She began chanting her catchphrase into a specific melody. As she sang along, so did all of the people town.

"There's nothing here, for you to see, for you to see, I see you. There's nothing here…. I've always been here, for you to see, for you to see. I see you." She replied. She sang this verse over and over again. "I'm already here, for you to see, for you to see. I see you. I've always been here, for you to see, for you to see…I see you."

Kenneth took hold of his microphone and began chanting a very catching tune. "Oh, the world's signing off. The second hour tells your audience you've had enough. …And all the colors of my loneliness arranged across the screen…"

"I think your audience has seen enough!" Gabriel pleaded as he ran from the approaching train. "Do you hear me? Your audience has seen enough! Cut this crap out!"

Kenneth smiled as he listened to his plea, ignoring it. "You hear that Gabe? Oh, the world's gone silent…Here's to loving life! Soon we'll televise our C-O-L-O-R. Now, leave me blinded and erase my memories. Soon you'll be a part of C-O-L-O-R. We leave you nauseous and it changes everything. …And in a moment, you will notice nothing's quite the same when my COLORBARS are mixing frequencies. Turn the signal down and spin around in the opposite direction. …And now, will you please applaud?"

The town applauded from their living room couches. The people enjoyed the melody that Kenneth was broadcasting. He turned to Gabe as fear gripped him and sang the tune to him.

"Oh, the days are getting shorter. There's a voice inside my head that says you've had enough," he sang.

"…And now you'll turn your eyes towards the screen," Kelly Ann added.

"See, all the limits of the televised have gone erratic," Kenneth sang.

"Oh yes, now turn your eyes and scream!" Kelly Ann ordered as she sang her famous tune. "I'm already here, for you to see, for you to see, to see you. I've always been here. For you to see, for you to see, to see you."

"Kenneth! Knock this bullshit out! Come on! I'm sorry!" Gabriel pleaded as the train approached ever faster.

He could see the light shining directly behind him. The whistle was bellowing loudly as the vibrations from the tracks were tripping Gabe up.

"…And in a moment, you will notice nothing's been the same. Now your fucking lies are mixing frequencies. Turn the signal down and spin around in the opposite direction. …And now you will applaud!" Kenneth ordered.

The town applauded just as Gabriel tripped on the train tracks. He placed his hands over his eyes and began to beg for his life.

"I'M SORRY! I did not mean to do the shit I did to you! Please! Spare me! I'll help you! I'LL HELP YOU!" Gabriel screamed.

Kelly Ann smiled as she raised her hand in the air and made a fist.

"STOP!" she ordered.

The train stopped in its tracks right in front of Gabriel. It tapped him on the foot as he was about to soil himself. He began crying as the headlights flashed on him. The whistle bellowed loudly. Gabriel looked up and saw the train conductor. He realized that he was under the control of COLORBARS.

"Do you promise to help us finish this?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Are you going to kill me in the end?" Gabriel asked still concerned about his life.

Kelly Ann turned and shrugged. Kenneth rolled his eyes. He really hated, so much that he actually was planning for the train to hit him, crush him, and then back up and strike him again and again. Kenneth motioned to Kelly Ann giving her full control of the situation.

"We will reconsider your options," she replied. "Help us end Stephanie, Chris, and Greg, and we might…just might let you live."

Gabriel smiled as he got down on one knee and began to speak: "If you spare me, I will join your side and help end those three people that cause you pain. They were never anything to me. I will end them for the greater good of your cause…our cause. COLORBARS."

"COLORBARS is not your project! It's mine!" Kenneth stated.

"Ours," Kelly Ann added. "We worked on this together and we will finish this together. Now that we have an ally on our team, we may be able to accomplish our goal."

"I'm with you to the end," Gabriel replied.

"Then be reborn into COLORBARS. It will transform you into the being that you were always meant to be. You will be reborn into a purpose. I purpose that will be remembered as glorious. A glory that only I can give," Kelly Ann replied.

She pressed a button and the screens went out. The frequencies echoes across the county. Those knocked out by Stephanie's blocker re-awoken, finding a new purpose in their society. The screens focused on Gabriel, who looked intently at them. He saw wonders inside the screen as Color Bars were broadcast into his mind.

"Who are you?" Gabriel asked.

"I am the frequency that control's your mind. I am your deepest thoughts, desires, and fears. I am the one who has the power over life and death. I am a Simmons…Kelly Ann Simmons!" she stated.

The frequency swirled around in a colorful way. Gabriel was amazed as the soundwaves overtook his sense of reasoning and thought. He smiled as he discovered he had a purpose. A purpose that will be remembered for generations to come.

"It's so beautiful!" Gabriel stated.

"It is. It is my gift to this world. My gift to Kenneth Simmons and all those who were neglected by this world. Those who are forgotten, neglected. I am a voice that speaks for these types of people. We me in charge. No one will ever be left alone," Kelly Ann replied.

Gabriel knelt down on both knees and outstretched his arms as if he was forming a cross.

"I'm yours and you are mine! I will serve you until the end! You are my master and I am your servant!" he shouted as the frequencies echoed in his mind.

"Good! …And as your master I want you to go out and find Stephanie Glass and her group! End them!" Kelly Ann commanded.

Gabriel whipped the gun out of his belt and cocked it.

"With pleasure!" he stated.

Kelly Ann laughed as she echoed her famous tune. "I'm already here. For you to see, for you to see, to see you. I've always been here. For you to see, for you to see, to see you."  
Kenneth charmed in and sang along with Kelly Ann: "Soon we'll televise our C-O-L-O-R. Now, leave me blinded and erase my memories. Soon you'll be a part of C-O-L-O-R. We leave you nauseous and it changes everything."

"I'm already here. For you to see, for you to see, to see you. I've always been here. For you to see, for you to see, to see you." Kelly Ann sang.

"…And in a moment, you will notice nothing's quite the same. When my COLORBARS are mixing frequencies. Turn the signal down and spin around in the opposite direction. ...And now, will you applaud!" Kenneth ordered.


	5. Chapter 5: For You Too See, I See You

Kenneth was sitting in the studio tossing the microphone back and forth. Kelly Ann was inside the television screen broadcasting over the entire town. Both of them were smiling and giggling like two school children. It was 8 PM, and the Color Bar Quest was coming to an end. Kenneth took hold of the microphone and began speaking to the audience.

"It's all most time for us to go," he replied. "Your lives will be ending soon at the stroke of midnight. You better hope that Stephanie and the gang succeed because if they don't…well…its not going to be pleasant for anyone."

"Time is running out," Kelly Ann added. "Your lives are so small and pathetic. You go around wasting the one thing that is so precious. Time. Once it is lost, it can never be found again. Why are you people so selfish?"

"We'll never know the answer to that one. People replace life with stupid things: television, Atari Video Games, senseless pleasure, and food. There minds rot with so much useless entertainment that it is sickening. So, sickening that two teenagers can hack a TV signal and brainwash them to do whatever we please," Kenneth replied.

"In an instant, your lives could be over…POOF…gone forever. It's important to cherish life for you do not know when it is going to end," Kelly Ann added.

"It will all be over soon," Kenneth remarked. "Death is the only thing you people truly deserve. None of you ever followed the golden rule, 'love your neighbor as yourself'. You all went about your days treating me and people like me as if we were less than you. As if we were garbage! Now, that I am in control, you're going to discover what it feels like when people walk all over you and degrade you. You are going to feel alone, depressed, and unappreciated. …And when its over and you are ready to die. I will grant that wish with one fair slash you all will die."

"But not yet…not now. We still have four hours of additional programing left to run, so sit down, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the rest of the show. I have a feeling that the good parts are just around the corner," Kelly Ann replied.

Chris, Stephanie, and Greg were approaching Kenneth's house cautiously. They crept across the ground so that they did not disturb the horde or any roamers. They made it to the fence when they discovered where exactly Kenneth and Kelly Ann were broadcasting. They peaked over and saw Kenneth and Kelly Ann in the garage. They were filming each other while standing behind several stacks of TV's. They were on every station in the tri-county area. Above them, stood a roamer constantly scanning the area for life forms.

The three quickly ducked so they were not spotted. Stephanie and Chris began signing to each other so that the Simmons could not hear them.

"So, what's the plan?" Stephanie asked using her hands. "We cannot go to the garage. We will be spotted."

"Maybe we should go through the backdoor?" Chris suggested.

"We need to hook the blocker into the signal Kenneth is using. It is the only way we can free everyone in the neighborhood," Stephanie replied.

"What about the bedroom?" Chris asked. "It looks like all of the wires condescend into that room over there."

"That's Kenneth's bedroom. I guess that is where everything is hooked up and where he is hijacking the signals," Stephanie replied.

"How are we going to get up there?" Chris asked.

"Maybe you can boost me and Greg up and then…" Stephanie replied.

She stopped mid-sentence when a puff of smoke was blown into her face. She turned and looked at Greg, who decided now was the best time to smoke a marijuana joint.

"You're doing this now?" she asked very quietly.

"What? You guys were doing the speaking with the hands thing and I was bored. I was craving a joint so I had one," Greg replied quietly.

"Put it out," Chris whispered. "If the roamer detects it. We're done for."

"Okay, okay," Greg replied angrily as he put his joint out. "It helps cool my nerves. Do you guys have a plan to get in there?"

"We're going through the roof," Stephanie replied. "We just need a way to get up there."

"Gary used to store a latter outback leaning against the house. If we can to it without disturbing the roamer, we'll be fine," Greg replied.

"How do you know this?" Chris asked.

"Kenneth and I used to play frisbee together. We'd always get the disk stuck on the roof, and Gary had to climb up and retrieve it. It should still be there," Greg replied.

"Then let's get to it," Stephanie whispered.

The group carefully went around the house into the backyard. Like Greg said, the latter was still leaning against the house. Greg went up to it and began climbing it.

"Good old lazy Gary," Greg remarked as he climbed up to the roof.

Chris and Stephanie followed close behind. Stephanie placed the handle of the blocker into her mouth so she could climb the latter with ease. While Chris was helping Stephanie up onto the room, Greg was busy prying the window open.

"The Simmons family never kept their windows locked," Greg remarked as he opened Kenneth's bedroom window.

"…And how do you know this?" Stephanie asked.

"Kenneth used to sneak out a lot. Hell, how do you think he was able to come to my parties?" Greg asked as he went inside.

Stephanie and Chris followed right behind him. When they were in his bedroom, they were amazed at what they saw. The room was covered in drawings. Some of them were just quick doodles, others were very detailed paintings. They littered the entire room from the floor to the ceiling. The group was astounded at what was surrounding them.

"What is all this stuff?" Greg asked.

"It's a glimpse into Kenneth's mind," Stephanie replied as she held up one of the drawings.

"No, it's a glimpse into Kenneth's insanity," Chris remarked as he held up one of the drawings. "Look at this, it's a picture of him and Kelly Ann killing Gary Banners and Carrie Simmons. How sick."

"Here's another one, it's him and Kelly Ann murdering Gabriel Raziquil," Stephanie added.

"Here's one of Kenneth fucking Greg in bed," Chris remarked.

"Burn it!" Greg ordered.

"SHHH!" Stephanie stated as she picked up another picture.

She looked at it very closely. It was different than the other picture because it did not feature Kenneth or Kelly Ann. Instead, it featured a woman wearing a tailored suit. Her face was wrapped in bandages and she was holding a metal bat. The inscription on the back read: **The world will fall when the humans make their last stand…worship the creature who has six hands.**

"Look at this voodoo," Stephanie replied handing the picture off to Greg.

"That's creepy," Greg remarked. "Who is it?"

"I don't know," Stephanie replied. "I never seen this person before."

"Here's another picture of the person," Chris replied. "This time she's standing in a mirror?"

"What's the inscription say?" Stephanie asked.

" **The human race is inferior…it will not exist when I shatter the mirror,"** Chris replied.

"That's dark," Greg remarked.

"Here the person is again," Stephanie replied. "This time it's behind Kenneth."

"Yeah, look, it's in the mirror behind the wall," Greg replied. "Look at the inscription it says **1987.** "

"That's this year, what is this?" Chris asked.

"Look, there the creature is again. It's in the mirror behind the couple. See it?" Greg asked.

"What is this?" Chris asked holding up the picture.

It was a picture of a couple. The husband was typing on the typewriter while his loyal housewife was sewing him something to wear. The creature was standing behind them in a mirror.

"What's the inscription say?" Stephanie asked.

Chris flipped it over and read it. It said **1950.**

"Guys, you're not going to believe it, but here is the creature again," Greg replied holding another picture.

"Where is it this time?" Chris asked.

"It looks like it is a circus. There's a clown wearing a goofy hat. Also, a husband and wife arguing over a baby. The husband is wearing overalls and holding a hammer. He looks like a handyman. The wife is wrapped around those old telephone wires you see in old movies. The clown is just smiling goofily into the picture," Greg replied.

"Where's the creature?" Chris asked.

"In the background, in the mirror," Greg replied.

"What's the inscription say?" Stephanie asked.

"It says **1927,** " Greg replied.

"What is this thing?" Chris asked.

"Maybe it's the thing that is controlling Kenneth. It will explain why his imaginary friend is alive," Stephanie replied.

"What's with the picture though? Are they real or is this something of Kenneth's doing?" Chris asked.

"I don't know," Stephanie replied.

"Look, let's just get out of here, and finish this," Greg remarked. "This place is giving me the creeps."

Stephanie nodded as the group headed downstairs to defeat Kenneth and to get answers to what was really going on. The group did not go very far when the house started rumbling violently. The three let out a scream.

"What's going on?" Greg asked.

"We've been made!" Chris shouted.

Wires came out of the foundation and latched onto the three of them. They were pulled through the walls and into the garage. The roamer had found them. It had brought them to the feet of Kenneth and Kelly Ann Simmons, who were smiling at what they had accomplished. The roamer held them in the air while Kenneth and Kelly Ann were talking.

"Well, well, well, well, well," Kenneth replied. "Look what we have here. My mortal enemies. Come to stop us?"

"Yes!" Greg stated.

"Shut up Greg!" Chris ordered.

"I have to admit. I'm impressed. I did not expect for you to get this far. With your history, I was expecting you all to give up. However, you persevered and I commend you for that. I mean, you took down my roamer and you were able to avoid the horde for ten hours straight! That was amazing!" Kelly Ann stated.

"Hey, what can I say? We're persistent!" Stephanie remarked.

"Well, after all of that turmoil and struggle. I have to say that I am sorry to see it end here…Well, not really, for you see I want to win, and now that you are out of my way. I just might be able to do that!" Kelly Ann stated.

"We'll see about that!" Chris shouted. "Steph! Do it now!"

Stephanie pointed the blocker at the roamer and shot it. The blast caused the roamer to fall backwards. It released the three and they fell to the ground. Stephanie stood up and began blasting the blocker all over the place.

"No, no, no, NO!" Kelly Ann stated as the blocker began to disrupt Color Bars. "If it gets a direct hit. It will destroy everything!"

"That won't happen!" Kenneth shouted as he leaped in the air trying to tackle Stephanie.

Chris jumped in the way and pulled him to the ground. They began to wrestle with Chris gaining the upper hand.

"LET ME GO!" Kenneth ordered.

"Don't fight it!" Chris stated. "It's for your own good."

"You don't know what's for my own good! You don't even know me!" Kenneth stated as he shoved his elbow into Chris's ribs.

Chris fell backward as Greg came in and punched Kenneth in the face. Kenneth slammed his head to the ground and was shocked at what had just happened.

"You too!" Kenneth remarked. "Kelly Ann was right! You are my enemy!"

"Kenneth! I'm trying to help you!" Greg stated.

"No! You are trying to stop what was bond to happen! You are trying to stop me from becoming who I truly am!" Kenneth stated.

"We're trying to help you! You have to calm down!" Greg stated.

"Never!" Kenneth shouted as he attacked Greg.

Meanwhile, Kelly Ann tried to get the blocker out of Stephanie's hand. She tried to reprogram the roamer, but Stephanie blasted it to the point it stayed down. She then turned the device to Kelly Ann and fired. The shockwaves began to tear her static body apart.

"No! It cannot be! IT CANNOT BE! My body! The vessel can't be broken! THE VESSEL CAN'T BE BROKEN!" she shouted as static and color began to pour out of her mouth.

"NO!" Kenneth shouted as he tried to run to his love.

Chris and Greg jumped on top of Kenneth and tried to restrain. Kenneth fought with every bone in his body.

"Let me go!" he shouted.

"Kenneth! You have to listen to us! Stop listening to Kelly Ann! She's not real!" Greg shouted.

"She is real! Just look! You're hurting her!" Kenneth shouted.

"You're a fucking idiot, Kenneth! Look static is pouring out of her mouth! Does she look human to you?" Chris asked.

Kenneth violently threw the two off of him. He crawled over to the side and pressed a button on the side of the garage door.

"You're fucking dead! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!" Kenneth shouted.

Greg and Chris stood up just as a bullet ripped passed their heads. The ducked and turned around to see a figure standing there. It came closer holding a gun in its hand. Both boys were shocked to see who it was. It was Gabriel Raziquil. He was pale. He looked as if he had been in the ground for several days. His clothes were tattered and he had an evil grim plastered across his face.

"Hey guys," he replied as he pointed the gun at them.

"Oh shit!" they both stated as Gabriel fired another round at them.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Chris asked as he tried to hide himself behind an old TV.

"I switch sides. Actually, that's false. I discovered my true potential," Gabriel replied.

"So, you decided to join the crazy ones, not surprised here," Greg remarked as he tried to hide.

"I didn't join the 'crazy ones'," Gabriel replied. "I've join the winning side!"

"Gabe! These two are out of their minds! They want you to kill us! Gabe! I am your friend!" Chris shouted.

"You are nothing to me!" Gabriel stated as he fired the gun again missing both boys.

"Gabe! We used to do fun things together. We played cards, mailbox baseball, and we had some great times getting the girls. What about all of the fun things we did together?" Chris asked.

"They are all pointless in the end. We are nothing in this world but there is another more powerful than we can ever imagine. A world of static and color. A world where he came from," Gabriel replied.

"Who?" Greg asked.

"Him," Gabriel replied pointing to Kelly Ann Simmons.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Chris asked.

"He's speaking nonsense," Greg replied. "It's whatever Kenneth wants him to say. He's under the control of Color Bars."

"I'm not," Gabriel replied. "I want to do this. Even if Kenneth wasn't involved, I would have still done this. You all mean nothing to me!"

"Even me," Chris replied.

"Hey, the only person that I trust is me!" Gabriel stated as he fired a forth round.

This time the bullet found its mark in Greg shoulder. He went down like a ragdoll and began crying like a baby. Chris saw this and stopped Gabriel from finishing the job. He grabbed a board and knocked it down upon Gabriel's head, knocking him unconscious. He then went over and tending to Greg's wounds.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked as he tore a piece of cloth from his shirt.

"NO!" Greg shouted. "I'M BLEEDING!"

"Calm down," Chris replied as he wrapped the wound tightly. "It's only a flesh wound."

"Chris, a flesh wound is when the bullet gently touches the skin. This is full on penetration!" Greg remarked.

"Just calm down! Everything is going to be okay!" Chris stated.

He was wrong. Gabriel jumped on top of him and began to fight Chris.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" he shouted.

"Gabriel! This is not like you! It's COLORBARS! You have to fight it! For me!" Chris shouted.

"No, I like this new feeling. It makes me happy!" Gabriel stated as the two of them began fighting on the floor.

Meanwhile, Stephanie was busy fighting Kelly Ann with the blocker. Stephanie fired several rounds at Kelly Ann and her body began to disintegrate. Before she could deliver the final blow, Kenneth came up from behind and knocked her in the back of her head with his two hands. She fell to the ground unconscious. Kenneth ran over to Kelly Ann, who was dying from her wounds.

"The vessel has been broken. It will not last," she replied as she held his hand.

"What can I do to save you?" he asked trying his best to stop the static from pouring out.

"You can't. The vessel I had was temporary. It was not meant to last," Kelly Ann replied.

"There has to be a way to save you!" Kenneth stated.

"There just may be one final way to save me," Kelly Ann replied.

"What is it?" Kenneth asked.

"I need to be in Color Bars. It might just be powerful enough to reform a new body for me," Kelly Ann replied.

"Then let's do it!" Kenneth stated.

"But wait! If you choose to do this. You and I can never be one. I will have my own body and you will have yours. We will never be together as what we once hoped for. We will be separate," Kelly Ann replied.

"If it saves you then it will be worth the sacrifice," Kenneth replied.

Kelly Ann smiled as she pointed to the wall of TV's leaning again the garage. "Place me beneath them."

Kenneth nodded as he placed Kelly Ann on the floor, next to the TV's.

"Tell the world to scream and shout…make a whole lot of noise. It will power Color Bars and save me," Kelly Ann replied.

Kenneth grabbed the camera and told his controlled audience what to do. "You heard her! Scream and shout! Make as much noise as you can! Color Bars is going online!"

The whole neighborhood let out a roar. Kenneth pressed a few buttons and Color Bars went on. The whole neighborhood was under its control. Kelly Ann's body began to reshape itself just as the color bars began broadcasting on the screen.

"COVER YOUR EARS!" Chris shouted as he tried to fight Gabriel.

Gabriel held down Chris's hands so he was able to hear the frequency.

"Do you hear that my friend. Do you hear that beautiful sound?" Gabriel asked.

"I do," Chris replied. "It's beautiful…NO! I can't listen to it. Must resist!"

"Don't fight it," Gabriel replied. "Just let go and surrender. It's the only way."

Chris stopped resisting and was listening to the frequency being broadcast. Greg saw this and crawled over towards Gabriel's gun that he had dropped. He picked it up and fired the final two rounds. Both bullets struck Gabriel in the back. He let out a yell as he turned around and jumped on top of Greg.

"You are all going to be apart of COLORBARS! It's our destiny to be one with the frequency!" Gabriel remarked.

"The static speaks my name," Greg replied as he complied with what the frequency told him to do.

Meanwhile, Kelly Ann's body began to mold into perfection. The vessel was repairing itself.

"It's working! Tell everyone to let out a scream! COLORBARS is working!" Kelly Ann shouted.

"Scream louder!" Kenneth ordered. "Scream and shout, make a whole lot of noise! Don't be afraid! Do it! It orders us to do it!"

Kelly Ann vessel began to transform. Kenneth approached expecting to see the girl transform into something beautiful. However, when he looked into the broadcast, he saw something that startled him. Instead of seeing the beautiful young girl that he had grew up with, he saw someone else. A different figure that was mixing in with Kelly Ann. When he tried to touch it, his hand was electrocuted. He fell to the floor as he looked up at his creation.

"Who are you?" he asked as the colors and frequencies began mixing all around him.

"Why, I'm Kelly Ann. Your friend," it replied.

Kenneth knew something was wrong. Her voice was different, and she kept morphing in and out of shape.

"You're not Kelly Ann. You don't look a thing like her. What did you do to her?" Kenneth asked.

It smiled. It placed its hand onto Kenneth's forehead and gently caressed it.

"You're under MY control now!" it stated.

Kenneth looked over at the TV's and saw COLORBARS broadcasting. He saw the frequency and was amazed at what he had done. He gently placed his hand onto the screen and smiled.

"It's beautiful," he said.

"It is, and its all your doing," It replied as it helped Kenneth to his feet. "We all were a part of something amazing. Each of you played your parts perfectly."

It pointed to Chris, Gabe, Greg, and Kenneth, who were now all under the control of COLORBARS. They all saluted back in synchronized fashion.

"What is now going to happen?" Chris asked.

"Well, it's time for you to end," it replied. "At the stroke of midnight, everyone under the control of COLORBARS will die in a mass suicide. It is a sad end, but it is necessary for the greater good."

"What about her?" Gabriel asked pointing to Stephanie who was recovering from the blow to the head.

"Let me see," it replied as it walked over to her. "HEY! STEPH! WAKE UP!"

Stephanie jolted back and pointed the blocker at the creature. The creature ripped it out of her hand and crushed it. "It's over. You have lost. I now control all of your friends and the entire world."

"NO!" Stephanie shouted.

"Yes, everyone now belongs to me. I win and you lose. Now, you have a choice in front of you. Join or die," it replied.

"I will never join you!" Stephanie stated.

"I will pretend that you didn't say that. This is an important decision to make. One that should not be taken lightly. You can join me and live your life in peace and serenity or you can refuse my kindness and die a very horrible death. What's your choice?" it asked.

"I will never join you!" Stephanie stated.

"Your choice! Boys, kill her!" it ordered.

Kenneth, Chris, Gabriel, and Greg all lunged at Stephanie. Stephanie jumped back as all four boys tried to kill her. She picked up whatever she could find to fight them off.

"Give up!" Kenneth stated.

"You cannot win!" Greg added.

"The colors! They speak to us!" Chris stated.

"They speak to you too, Stephanie. Just listen, they want you," Gabriel replied.

Stephanie turned to the TV, and an idea came into her head. She ran over and placed her foot into it, smashing it to bits.

"NO!" it screamed.

 _The TV's. They control COLORBARS. If I can destroy them…I can save them._ Stephanie thought as she ran to another TV. She was about to break it when the four boys approached her.

"Back off!" She ordered.

"Dearie, you're not in a position to be making deals like this," it replied.

"These TV's. They control COLORBARS. If I break them, it will end, and you don't want that. Now back off!" Stephanie ordered.

The creature thought about it for a moment. He then motioned his hand and ordered his minions to stop.

"You will not get away with this," it replied. "You are the last human being on earth. What are you going to do to stop me? You can't stay there forever. You would eventually die of dehydration. You would not last. There is no where to go."

"I'll think of something!" Stephanie stated.

"What?" it asked as an evil smile appeared over the creature's face.

It noticed that several wires from the ceiling were coming down around Stephanie. She did not notice because the creature was distracting her. It began speaking again.

"What is your great plan to defeat me? The blocker is destroyed, and your friends are under my control. Face it Stephanie. You lost."

"No, I will never give up! I will fight on to the end!" she stated with hope beaming in her eyes.

"You are a brave little girl," it replied. "But sadly, this is the end."

The creature motioned its hand and the wires attacked Stephanie whipping her in the back. She fell forward just as Kenneth and Greg rushed upon her.

"KILL HER!" it ordered.

Stephanie stood up and blocked the attack. Chris and Gabriel came from behind and tripped her. All four boys began to kick her. Stephanie crawled on the floor to get away from their blows.

Kenneth grabbed her by the hair and punched her. She fell backward onto a pile of garbage that was in the middle of the garage. Kenneth began to pound her. She looked at him in the eyes and tried to reason with him.

"Kenneth…stop…this isn't you," she cried.

"I can't stop…I won't stop…the frequency compels me to do this," he replied.

"You need to fight this!" she ordered trying to get away from him.

He pinned her to the floor and began yelling at her.

"There is nothing you can do…COLORBARS is now in control…all we can do is submit," Kenneth replied.

"I am not just some frequency…I am a person with heart and feelings!" Stephanie stated.

"Feelings for who?" Kenneth asked.

"You," Stephanie replied.

"Oh! I know that is a lie! Just look at this!" Kenneth stated as he pressed a button on a TV.

A video came up onto the screen. It was footage caught on a security camera. It was on the night of the last party. It showed Stephanie kissing Chris unexpectantly. Stephanie blushed at this.

"You're a real player, you know that? You say you have feelings for me but instead you kiss Chris. It's amazing how the human heart works. Fall for someone else and you forget who your real friends are," Kenneth replied.

"That's right Kenneth, we're friends, and I would never do anything to harm you. I would fall in love with you and live the rest of my days with you if you would just end this," Stephanie pleaded.

"I can't end this! The COLORBARS…" Kenneth replied.

"…Are not real! Kenneth! You have real people who love and care for you!" Stephanie stated.

"No one cares for me! I am alone in this world!" Kenneth yelled at the top of his lungs.

"I do care for you, and so does Greg even Chris is willing to be your friend…You don't have to be alone, Kenneth, we are here for you," Stephanie replied.

Kenneth looked at Stephanie. It seemed that he was about to give into her pleas and go against everything he worked so hard on to create. However, he backed out at the last second. It was as if the temptation of COLORBARS was to great to overcome.

"I'm sorry, Stephanie, but COLORBARS has consumed my life. It is my everything now," Kenneth replied.

"No," Stephanie cried as Greg and Chris took hold of her.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, Stephanie you see, you have no control over Kenneth. He is me and I am him. I own Kenneth and I tell him what to do and how to feel. Now I control your friends and sadly this will lead to your end," it replied.

Stephanie tried to fight Greg and Chris, but they were to strong for her.

"Guys! You have to fight this! You are my friends! Don't let them win!" Stephanie stated.

"The colors are so beautiful. It's like being high all the time. I cannot refuse them," Greg replied.

"Chris! You have to fight this!" Stephanie pleaded.

Chris heard Stephanie's words and struggled to break free from COLORBARS.

"Stephanie, help me," he whispered as he tried to free himself.

"Oh no you don't!" it stated as COLORBARS beamed across the garage.

Chris let out a loud scream and fell to the floor. He placed his hands over his ears and tried to fight it, but the frequency was too strong.

"I…can't…fight it," he replied as he stood back up.

"Chris…!" Stephanie cried.

"I'm so sorry," he replied. "I have no choice."

The dragged Stephanie back towards a TV. Wires came down from the ceiling and wrapped around her. They began to hoist her up slightly so that her feet were barely touching the floor. She looked over at the creature and glared at it.

"You won't get away with this," she replied.

"I beg to differ," it simply said.

Gabriel approached and placed his hand on a dial. He leaned in closely towards Stephanie and smiled. For once, his eyes were away from COLORBARS. He was out of the creature's frequency mind control. Stephanie saw this and tried to keep Gabe from falling back in.

"Gabe, your free, help me," she pleaded.

He laughed as he leaned in close and whispered something in her ear.

"I like being under her control…it suits me."

He turned the dial and the wires became live. They began to electrocute Stephanie at high voltage. She let out a scream as sparks flew across the room. The five of them watched as Stephanie lit up the night.

The creature took hold of the camera and focused in on Stephanie's demise.

"This…this is what happens to people who do not obey my words. They did such a horrible death," it replied.

Stephanie looked at those who were killing her. She kept her focus on Chris and Kenneth, who were in shock at what was happening before their very eyes.

"I don't blame you," she simply replied as her body began to go limp.

Chris could not take this type of treatment. He turned and tried to strike the creature.

"MONSTER!" he yelled.

Gabriel came up from behind and grabbed him. He forced Chris to the ground and held his head up so that he could watch Stephanie fry.

"Look at it! It's beautiful! Keep resisting and your death will be far worst!" Gabriel stated.

"I'll kill you!" Chris yelled.

"You can try, but you will fail," Gabriel replied.

A few more volts coursed through Stephanie's veins. She then went limp as her head fell down. Her body smelled of burnt decaying flesh. The creature smiled at this.

"…And thus, ends our hero's adventure. The Color-Bar Quest is over, and we have no winner. Oh! Wait we do! Me! I win! …and at the stroke of midnight you will all end," it said.

"I'll kill you!" Chris shouted as he tried to fight Gabriel.

"You are a feisty one," it replied as it reached down and picked Chris up by his jacket.

"He was always the rebel of the group," Gabriel replied. "Do you want me to kill him?"

"No, I'll do that personally. With Stephanie gone I have no one that will stand in my way, not even you Chris," it replied.

"Who are you?" Chris asked.

The creature held him close and whispered.

"I'm your worst enemy."

Stephanie saw darkness…and only darkness. She did not know if she was alive or dead. She opened her eyes and saw nothing. She tried to scream but heard nothing, and it was not because she was deaf. She was in a state that was not alive or dead. She stood up and tried to figure out what was going on.

"Hello," she replied with no answer.

She placed her hands in front of her trying to figure out where exactly she should go.

 _Where am I?_ she thought to herself. _Did I die? The last thing I remember is Kenneth and that creature. What happened?_

Suddenly, she heard something. It was a faint sound coming in the distance. It sounded like a pin dropping but as it got closer it echoed louder and louder.

 _How was I able to hear that?_ Stephanie thought. _I've been deaf since I was born. How do I know what even sound is? Is my mind playing tricks on me? What the hell is going on?_

The sound got louder and louder. She tried to put her finger on what the noise was, but she couldn't figure it out. It's only when the sound was close is when she realized what the sound was. It was of a mirror cracking. She saw crack lines form in front of her face. She took a few steps back to see what was going on.

Crack lines were forming everywhere. They weren't breaking in a single formation but in many. It was as if they were synchronized. She looked up as the cracks began forming a word. She squinted her eyes and she tried to read it. The cracks formed on word: Dachshund.

 _What does this mean?_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly, the room began to change at fast speeds. A bright light shinned that blinded Stephanie. She placed her hands in front of her eyes just to block it. The light went dimmer and dimmer just as Stephanie took her hands down to see where she was.

She was in a long hallway that stretched for miles. It was dimly lit by torches that were hanging from the walls. The wall paper was old-timey with curling flowers paining into them which was supposed to make them feel alive. Instead, it made the whole place feel ancient and dead.

Stephanie began walking down the hallway towards the end. She was wondering what she was going to find whether it be heaven or hell because she knew she was dead.

 _This is all Kelly Ann's fault! She had me killed…wait…did I really die? I remember the electricity and the pain, but did that really kill me? I mean, is this really my soul? …And if I am really dead what kind of place is this? Purgatory? Limbo? The waiting room in the doctor's office? Where am I?_ Stephanie thought to herself as she came to a doorway at the end of the hall.

It was a wooden door that was painted black and red. The handle was round and engraved in gold. She carefully placed her hand on the knob and slowly turned it.

 _Here goes nothing._ She thought to herself as she opened the door.

She went inside and saw a bookcase filled with books. She also saw a desk with a lamp right between two huge windows. The windows were covered with green curtains that were blocking most of the light. There was a fireplace at the end of the room. There was a chair next to the fireplace with someone sitting in it. Stephanie approached and tapped the back of the chair. Someone stood up and stared down at Stephanie. She was shocked to see who it was. It was none other than the creature, and it smiled at her.

Stephanie turned to run, but she could not. The door had disappeared and there was nothing left but the room. She turned and faced the creature. She curled her fists and was ready to fight. The creature placed its hands in the air.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out! I don't want to fight you!" it stated.

"What?" Stephanie asked in shock. "I actually heard that. …And wait! What do you mean you don't want to fight! I am here to destroy you!"

"…And why do you want to do that?" it asked. "I have no quarrel against you."

"Yeah right! You tried to kill me and my friends! In fact, I think you did kill me!" Stephanie stated.

"Are you dead?" it asked.

"I…don't know," Stephanie replied. "I don't know what's going on…Where am I? Why can I hear? What are you? Where's my friends? …And what are you planning on doing?"

"One question at a time," it replied as it moved towards Stephanie.

Stephanie got back into fighting position as she realized the creature could strike again. The creature saw this and began to morph. It morphed into a familiar face. Someone who Stephanie could relate with. It turned into Kelly Ann.

"Can you not look so tense?" Kelly Ann asked. "I just want to talk to you."

"Start talking!" Stephanie ordered.

"Pull up a chair and sit down, you are in a safe place," Kelly Ann replied.

A chair suddenly appeared behind Stephanie. She took her seat and began talking with the creature.

"Why am I here?" she asked.

"To talk about your surrender," Kelly Ann replied.

"Why would I surrender?" Stephanie asked. "I thought I was dead."

"You're not dead," Kelly Ann replied. "You're just unconscious."

"You fried me with a lot of volts!" Stephanie stated.

"How much?" Kelly Ann asked.

"I…I…I don't know, I am not an electrician! I know that it was enough to fry me!" Stephanie stated.

"You could survive an electric shock…kind of…I am sure you will be fine with minimum damage to your physical body," Kelly Ann replied.

"I have a lot of questions for you," Stephanie replied.

"…And I will be happy to answer them over tea and biscuits. Do you want any?" Kelly Ann asked.

"No," Stephanie replied.

Just then the room began to shake violently. Stephanie took hold of the chair to straighten herself out.

"You know, it is rude to deny the hospitality of your hosts," Kelly Ann replied.

"Is that what I am to you? A guest?" Stephanie asked.

"Yes, you are my guest. Accept my hospitality and I will be happy to have a conversation with you about everything," Kelly Ann replied.

"Do you have any Moxie?" Stephanie asked.

"I will get you a bottle," Kelly Ann replied. "Do you want it cold?

"Yes, I want a cold one," she replied.

Kelly Ann handed her a cold bottle of Moxie. Stephanie was shocked because she made it appear out of thin air.

"Good, and then you will tell me everything," Stephanie replied.

"What ever you want to know," Kelly Ann replied.

"I want for you to go back to the beginning, to where it all started," Stephanie replied.

"Are you sure you want that? You might not be able to handle the truth," Kelly Ann replied.

"I want to know," Stephanie replied.

"All right then, where should I begin?" Kelly Ann asked.

With that, Kelly Ann told the tale of what led up to the events that were happening now. It was a shocking tale about betrayal, hatred, and vengeance. She told about the plan that would change the course of history for years to come and her motive behind it all. Stephanie listened closely and intently at every word that was said. Her heart sank as she realized that she was dealing with something that was far more powerful than any being on earth whether physical or spiritual. It was a creature that had no limits, no fears, no forgiveness. It was something that could not be stopped. According to Kelly Ann, it would successfully get what it wanted. It was just a matter of time.


	6. Chapter 6: Regret

"You know, you are very persistent. I was never expecting you to get this far, let alone survive a direct shock to the head. You know, that voltage that I pumped into you was enough to kill a thousand death row inmates," Kelly Ann replied. "You're one tough cookie."

"So, I have heard," Stephanie replied as she took a sip of Moxie.

"That persistence, that constant will of staying alive against all other odds is what bugs me," Kelly Ann replied.

"How so?" Stephanie asked.

"You being alive and being against my operation means that you are an enemy to me. You will not rest until you solely defeat me, am I correct?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Yes!" Stephanie stated. "I will not die until you are defeated."

"…And that is the determination that I really hate the most! You'll wake up from your coma, we'll fight, you'll win some battles, and I will win some battles until we're both old and tired. By then, who will care about our skirmishes. Hell, who even cares now?" Kelly Ann asked.

"What are you saying?" Stephanie asked. "You want a truce?"

"Yes, I don't want too, but I can't be constantly fighting with you. It's bad for business," Kelly Ann replied as she took a sip of tea.

"Well, if you want a truce with me, then there will be conditions!" Stephanie stated.

"Of course!" Kelly Ann exclaimed trying to strike a deal with Stephanie.

"Release my friends and leave Wilmington forever!" Stephanie commanded.

"I'm afraid it is not that easy," Kelly Ann replied.

"What do you mean it's not that easy?" Stephanie asked.

"I can't leave this town, not until my plan is complete. I have to finish what I have started before I can move on," Kelly Ann replied.

"What did you start?" Stephanie asked.

"Back in 1950 I came to a lonely housewife whose husband was ignoring her. She believed he was having an affair so I dealt with it. She promised loyalty but she betrayed me. That hurt, badly. I was able to complete part of my plan, but not all. Now I found someone else who is in need. I need to see this all the way through to the end. I am going to accomplish my plan no matter what the cost it might be," Kelly Ann exclaimed.

"What about 1927?" Stephanie asked.

"What about it?" Kelly Ann asked looking confused.

"You said you helped someone in 1950 and now you are helping Kenneth in 1987. Who did you help in 1927?" Stephanie asked.

"I would love to tell you but that will be spoiling it," Kelly Ann replied.

"How are you alive?" Stephanie asked. "What are you?"

Kelly Ann stood up and walked towards the window. She placed both her hands down on the window sill and looked out.

"You know that determination that keeps you alive. I have that as well. My goals are the only thing keeping me alive. I need to accomplish them or else I will die," Kelly Ann replied.

"What happens when you do accomplish them? What then?" Stephanie asked.

"The sky's the limit," Kelly Ann replied.

"Look, I'm all for it for you accomplishing your goals, but I can't let you do it at the sake of my friends," Stephanie replied.

"What good were your friends?" Kelly Ann asked. "Chris is a bully, Greg is always high and irresponsible, Gabriel is psychotic, and Kenneth is homosexual."

"So," Stephanie asked.

"So? You really think you have a shot with Kenneth. He doesn't love you. He never will love you. He loves men and will die loving men," Kelly Ann replied.

"You don't know that," Stephanie remarked.

"I do," Kelly Ann replied.

"How?" Stephanie asked on the verge of crying.

"Because I am his sister," Kelly Ann replied.

"What?" Stephanie asked.

"Kenneth is not the only one seeking help. I also needed help before we even existed," Kelly Ann replied.

"I don't get it," Stephanie said with a confused look on her face.

"Kenneth and I are twins. Back when we were still in our mother's womb, a complication happened and our mother was informed that we were both going to be down syndrome babies. She was told to abort us to prevent further sadness. My mother cut me to shreds, but at the last second Kenneth decided to come early. The doctors saved his life while the salt water from the abortion corroded my cells into nothing. That is when I cried out to any power that would grant me life and a second chance. I found that in the creature who spared my life. A part of me attached to Kenneth's brain where I lived forever, buying my time, and plotting my revenge!" Kelly Ann explained.

"You're a parasite!" Stephanie stated.

"You could say that, or you could say I am a part of Kenneth. I gave him the imagination, the creativity, without me, he is nothing," Kelly Ann replied.

"He is more than anything you could ever dream up for him!" Stephanie declared.

"You are so narrow minded!" Kelly Ann exclaimed. "There are so many things that are beyond our control. We are actually a part of something greater. We can change the world; don't you want that?"

"All I want are my friends back," Stephanie replied.

"I don't know if I can offer you that," Kelly Ann replied.

"Then tell me this, who is the creature you all keep talking about?" Stephanie asked.

"The creature helped a handyman named Michael Elsner when his wife tried to kill him in a car wreck. The creature helped me when my mother tried to abort me. He's helped countless others. All you have to do is ask," Kelly Ann replied.

"Who else has he helped?" Stephanie asked.

"That would be spoiling," Kelly Ann replied.

"Does he have any other name?" Stephanie asked.

"That would be spoiling," Kelly Ann replied.

"Can you give me anything that isn't spoilers?" Stephanie asked.

"I don't think so," Kelly Ann replied.

"Then why are we even here?" Stephanie asked. "This is a waste of my time."

"It's not a waste of time, we're negotiating," Kelly Ann replied.

"Negotiating what?" Stephanie asked. "I am asking you questions and you are giving me a run around. This does not sound like good negotiating."

"Then let me offer you this," Kelly Ann replied. "A different reality."

"A what?" Stephanie asked.

Suddenly, a giant mirror appeared in front of them. The room faded away into the blackness. The mirror was tall and oval shaped with dark oak trimming and a beautiful glossy coat that made it shine like the stars.

"What is this?" Stephanie asked.

"This could be your future," Kelly Ann replied. "Look into it."

Stephanie looked in and saw wonders. She saw herself and then end of COLORBARS. She saw herself growing up and going to an esteemed college. She saw herself struggling with college life and fitting in with the others. This is when a young woman named Jennifer Dawns. The two hit it off and eventually become roommates. It soon sparkles into something more when the two become romantically involved. They start dating and in two years they commit to each other. Stephanie and her partner later adopt a young boy from Africa, and in 2013 the two marry on the steps of City Hall in North Carolina. Stephanie finally saw herself dying in her sleep, at the age of 84. Happy with everything she ever did in her life.

"Is this my future?" she asked as she wiped a tear from her face.

"It could be your future. The mirror does not lie. All you have to do is step into the mirror and it is all yours," Kelly Ann replied.

Stephanie placed her hand onto the glass. The mirror rippled as if it was water. Stephanie contemplated whether she should go in or not. She hesitated and then turned towards Kelly Ann.

"What about Kenneth and the others?" Stephanie asked.

"There is no future for them, but there is still hope for you. All you have to do is go into the mirror," Kelly Ann replied.

"I can't do it, not without my friends," Stephanie replied.

"You're willing to give up a happy life, a good marriage, a child, and your hearing just to save your friends?" Kelly Ann asked. "You will be alone for the rest of your life then. None of them are suitable partners for you."

"There's always Chris," Stephanie remarked.

"The Mexican! HA! He's a fowl mouth, narcistic, bully who only cares about drinking and himself. If you marry him then your life will be misery. You will have to surrender yourself completely to him, and he will degrade you down to nothing. With Jennifer, you will be complacent, happy, and appreciated. Any fool would take this reality if they had the chance. You should too. Go on! Take it!" Kelly Ann stated. "A chance like this doesn't come around twice. Don't make a decision that you will regret later on."

"I can't choose my happiness over another. I have to refuse," Stephanie replied as she turned her back on the mirror.

"You're making a big mistake!" Kelly Ann stated. "You're throwing a good life away!"

"My life was fine…well, it was fine before you showed up!" Stephanie stated.

"You think I am the reason your life is so fucked up?" Kelly Ann asked.

"Let's see," Stephanie replied. "Show me my life if you we're not involved with Kenneth."

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Kelly Ann replied.

"You showed me a reality with me falling in love with another girl. Show me a reality where you are not in the picture!" Stephanie ordered.

Kelly Ann snapped her finger and another mirror appeared. Stephanie tried to look in but was stopped by Kelly Ann. Kelly Ann looked in the mirror for a full ten minutes. She smiled and began laughing. Her laugh echoed across the darkness. The room began to crack.

"What's going on?" Stephanie asked.

"Oh, I see your life is wonderful without me.

…And your smile is more joyful I can't forget, no I can't. Never once the thought did cross that you would leave me this way. Now I'm locked in this hellish cell where I'm bound to stay…" Kelly Ann replied with a laugh. Her voice sounded as if she was singing these dreadful words.

"What are you doing?" Stephanie asked.

The room began to morph like static on a television screen. Kelly Ann morphed in and out of shape. A hand grew out of her back and then another. She turned and faced Stephanie. Her face was gone and was replaced by static.

Kelly Ann began speaking but her voice was being muffled by the static.

"I can see your life is…. without me and…is more joyful…no I can't…thought did cross that…this way…this hellish cell…stayed…."

"What's going on?" Stephanie asked as the ground beneath her gave way. She felt herself falling down into a pile of complete darkness with the voice of Kelly Ann echoing in her mind.

"I guess I'm the culprit of destroying the world. …And damning every soul with my unrequested presence. Suppose I could undo every mistake I've made. You know the only way's by erasing all that's surrounding me," Kelly Ann sung as her voice faded in and out of the static.

"How can I erase all that is surrounding me?" Stephanie asked. "It's all darkness."

"The darkness is everything to me. It what gives me life. It is also the thing that tortures me the most. This is what it feels like every day. Being alone in the darkness, I can't take it anymore. But, they put me here in the darkness. That is why they have to pay: Elsner, Simmons, Parson, and your friend Chris. It all ends now," it said.

"Who are you?" Stephanie asked realizing she was still falling.

The creature emerged replacing Kelly Ann's body. It filled the entire room with itself and laugh with an evil intent at Stephanie. Stephanie covered her ears as the laughter made her deaf again.

Stephanie hit the ground and fell to her knees. She thought of all the times she was with her friends and realized that she had been living for herself. She had always thrown herself at Kenneth or at Chris in order to win their affection, but in the end, it drove them apart. She never once cared about how they truly felt up until now. She even had doubts about giving up the reality promised by Kelly Ann. She couldn't tell if that was self-sacrifice or selfishness. She wanted to save her friends, but she wasn't ready to give up her own selfish reasons why she wanted to save her friends.

She looked up at the creature with a determine look on her face. She knew her desires was of her own doing and not of sacrifice. She knew her faults, but she was not going to let that stop her. She smiled as she began humming the tune of Kelly Ann's song.

"Pride has dissipated…

From the mess created…

Out of selfish choices…

That I made and now I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," Stephanie replied. "How about you? When this is over and you realize how many lives you destroyed will you be sorry?"

The creature smiled as it continued to sing the ill-fated song: "Guess I'm the culprit of corrupting your life. …And breaking your poor heart with my unrequested presence. Suppose you could undo every mistake I've made. I know the only way's by erasing your face off this planet! I'll erase you from this planet!"

The creature came down towards Stephanie wielding a large metal bat. It brought it down just as Stephanie rolled across the ground to avoid being hit. The bat shattered the ground and cracked it like it was glass. The creature turned towards Stephanie and tried to hit her again.

"Time to erase you off this planet!" the creature shouted.

"Go on! Erase me! But let them all go!" Stephanie ordered.

"NEVER!" the creature shouted as it brought the bat down again barely missing Stephanie as it hit the ground.

"They don't belong to you…Kenneth, Chris, Greg, Gabriel, even Kelly Ann! Let them all go!" Stephanie ordered.

"Kenneth is mine! Kelly Ann is mine! They belong to me!" the creature shouted as it tried to hit Stephanie.

"Why do they belong to you? Is it because Kelly Ann owes you something? She owes you nothing! Let her go in peace!" Stephanie pleaded.

"Never! She belongs to me as you all belong to me! You can never escape my darkness! You can never escape my nightmare!" the creature shouted.

"Nightmare," Stephanie whispered. "This is all a bad dream. The only way to wake up from a bad dream is too…"

Stephanie looked up at the creature who was about to strike her. She knelt down on the ground and smiled.

"Hit me with your best shot!" she stated.

The creature struck her and she awoke from the darkness. She discovered she was still in Kenneth's garage covered in wires and burn marks. The pain was immense but she managed to get to her feet. She placed her hand to her ear and clapped it against it real hard to see if she could hear anything. She could not. She was deaf.

 _Good to be back!_ She thought to herself.

She forced herself from the rubble and saw Kenneth standing near the TV's holding the microphone. Gabriel, Greg, and Chris were standing in front of Kenneth facing him. Kelly Ann was standing by with an evil look on her face.

"It's almost time," she replied.

"The time has come to purify this evil town! Everyone in it will know the beauty of COLORBARS!" Kenneth stated. "Everyone! Give a cheer!"

The whole town echoed in one loud voice.

"Louder! I can't hear you!" Kenneth screamed.

The town roared.

"I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU! ECHO IN ONE VOICE!" Kenneth shouted.

The town echoed.

"The hour is approaching…Time has officially ended on this pathetic town. Soon, you will be at rest," Kelly Ann replied.

The TV flickered as words began popping up on the screen.

 **The time has come for this world to see what true darkness is…**

 **People go about their lives ignoring what they cannot see…**

 **They left me alone in the dark, but in the dark I grew in power…**

 **Now they will see my true form…**

 **I wanted to help, but in the end, I was betrayed…**

 **It is bitter sweet that as I die so does my enemies…**

 **Determination and hatred are what keeps me alive…**

 **I will have my revenge…**

 **Vengeance shall be mine…**

A short picture aired over the televisions in Wilmington. It was a short video of a young housewife taking care of her husband. They were happily in love with each other. In the background, there was a shadowy figure lurking inside a mirror. It looked up in disgrace upon the could. The screen went black as the husband screamed. When it came back on the wife was standing over the husband's body. His throat was slashed. The wife was covered in blood holding the bloody knife. The shadowy figure was standing behind the woman, consoling her. It had an evil grin on its face. The wife let out a scream as the screen went black again. When it came back on, the wife was hanging by her neck at the end of a rope. The words: **Stitch, Sew, Cut, Pull** were painted in blood on the back of the wall.

Words appeared on the screen as Kelly Ann began singing her infamous song.

 **Oh dear, what a sad ending that was!**

… **.**

 **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **No, it wasn't.**

 **You see, I'm just getting started…**

Kenneth smiled as a familiar tune echoed across the airwaves. He held the microphone to his mouth and began singing:

"Turn up the volume…I said, I said. It's a beautiful day. We're voiding our heads. In all respect I could see the end…Of a beautiful day. We're screaming again!

…Again…Again…Again...Again…

We're screaming again!

…Again…Again…Again…Again

We're screaming again!

…And through the volume, I said. We've seen enough …And on the screen, as clear as can be. It's a colorful display. We're screaming again!

…Again…Again…Again...Again…

We're screaming again!

…Again…Again…Again…Again

We're screaming again!

If it's too hard to tell. We'll wake up in a singular reality. The death of a nation. A toxic reaction. So, scream and shout, make a whole lotta noise. Don't be afraid, let the night run out. Well, after all, it's a television show. A telecast promoting vertigo!"

Kelly Ann smiled as her words were broadcast all across the county.

 **COLORBARS IS GOING LIVE!**

 **THERE IS NOTHING YOU MORTALS CAN DO!**

 **Oh! You're wondering who I am, aren't you? You're trying to figure out what supreme being is going to bring you to your knees.**

 **Yes, you've seen me before. No, I'm not God or the devil or some New Age bullshit…I'm something different. I could tell you directly who I am.**

 **However, I like surprises.**

 **I think I'll wait a bit longer.**

Kenneth smiled as he went back singing the tune.

"A moment in time to reconcile. Came a little too late, and now it's gone. A moment in history. Produced by the broken and thrown away! …And I'm already here…For you to see, for you to see, to see you! I've always been here…For you to see, for you to see, to see you!"

 **That's right!** Kelly Ann stated.

 **I've always been here.**

 **Right here.**

 **Comforting, isn't it?**

 **I'm here watching you!**

 **Waiting…**

 **I'm here to see it all come to an end, and there is nothing you can do about it!**

 **All you can do is surrender…**

 **Don't be afraid…**

 **It will all be over in a second…**

The clock was inching closer to midnight. Kenneth reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife. The same knife he used to cut himself to summon Kelly Ann. Now she was going to use it to summon Kenneth into a lonely dark place. Stephanie knew she had to act because COLORBARS was live. If Kenneth killed himself while COLORBARS was broadcasting then it would go out all over the place and everyone in Wilmington North Carolina would do the same. It would be a mass suicide.

Kenneth didn't seem to care. All he did was to continue singing the song:

"So, scream and shout, make a whole lotta noise. Don't be afraid, let the night run out. Well, after all, it's a television show. The audience is swaying to and fro! So, scream and shout, 'cus the world's signing off. Don't be afraid, no, you can't get enough. Well, after all, it's a television show. These COLORBARS mask everyone you know!

Kelly Ann's words echoed across the screen.

 **Are you enjoying yourselves so far?**

Everyone in town let out a joyful scream.

 **Just making sure.**

 **Your happiness is my happiness.**

 **In fact…**

 **You're quite similar to me in the end.**

 **ALL OF YOU!**

Kelly Ann pointed to the television just as Kenneth nodded. He flipped a switch and COLORBARS began broadcasting. Everyone in the neighborhood saw Kenneth Simmons standing there holding a knife to his throat. He was crying but smiling menacingly.

"It's time for us to end," he replied.

The people of the town nodded. Every single one of them went for a knife whether it was a kitchen knife, a camping knife, or a pocket knife. Each one held it to his or her throat waiting on every order Kenneth was giving them.

"In the end, we're all the same. In the end, nothing matters. See you in the darkness," Kenneth replied as he was about to sign off.

"NO!" Stephanie screamed as she lunged towards Kenneth.

"Oh! Not you again!" Kelly Ann moaned as she motioned for her minions to attack her.

Stephanie ran past Chris, Greg, and Gabriel. She charged to the front of the garage to where Kenneth was standing. She pushed him straight towards the TV's.

"What are you doing?" Kelly Ann asked as she tried to stop her.

"Sacrifice!" was Stephanie's only words before she and Kenneth slammed into COLORBARS.

Light flickered across the garage. Power surges and electricity shot everywhere. Because Kenneth was the first to hit the TV, he was the one who was mostly affected by the sudden stream of electricity. Stephanie was on top of Kenneth's body, so she barely got shocked.

"I'm sorry, Kenneth," she whispered. "I have to let you go. You have to leave the darkness behind. It's time for you to see the light."

Kenneth screamed as a thousand volts of electricity coursed through his body. He felt himself becoming heavy like a magnet. Stephanie was thrown off when the TV exploded. Fire raged through the garage as Kenneth's body disappeared.

"NO!" Kelly Ann screamed as he body began to turn into static. "Why did you do that? Without Kenneth…"

"…It's game over for you!" Stephanie shouted.

COLORBARS stopped broadcasting inside the garage. Chris, Gabriel, and Greg were released from its terrible grip. They each fell to the floor and began throwing up.

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"Why do I feel like a dumb truck rolled over me?" Greg asked.

"Stephanie…" Gabriel mumbled under his breath.

"There's fire!" Chris shouted. "We need to put it out!"

Instead of trying to help Chris, both Gabriel and Greg ran out of the building.

"Stephanie! Where are you?" Chris asked as he took his shirt off and began putting out the flames.

"Over here!" Stephanie shouted.

"Where's Kenneth and Kelly Ann?" Chris asked as he made his way over towards her.

Stephanie pointed towards the smashed TV. "He's over there."

"How?" Chris asked.

"I had to let him go. It was the only way," Stephanie replied.

Chris placed his arm around Stephanie and pulled her close to comfort her.

"It's going to be okay," he replied.

"I don't know what happened to Kelly Ann," Stephanie replied. "She may be dead. She was apart of him, so she has to be dead. Right?"

"I hope so," Chris replied.

Suddenly, there was a movement among the smashed TV's. Static began pouring out of all of them as it formed a shape on the floor. The shape began to rise and take form of Kelly Ann.

"You think you can get rid of me that easily?" she asked. "COLORBARS is too powerful! I still control this town! I may not have the power to kill everyone here, but I still have the power to kill you!"

"You will never hurt her!" Chris shouted as he stood in front of Stephanie to protect her. "It will be over my fucking dead body!"

"That can be arranged!" Kelly Ann shouted as she took out a metal bat.

She charged at Chris who dodge her swing. He reached down and picked up a metal poll and began fighting her. Stephanie jumped on top of Kelly Ann to confuse her. Kelly Ann grew another limb and threw her into the fire. Stephanie jumped out and lunged at Kelly Ann with a sharp piece of metal. It pierced her skin, and she screamed.

"THE VESSEL CANNOT BE BROKEN!"

Chris and Stephanie continued to attack, not gaining any ground.

"What's the plan?" Chris asked.

"Kenneth has to see the light! That is the only way we can defeat her!" Stephanie stated.

"How is he going to do that if he is fried?" Chris asked.

"You'll see," Stephanie replied. "You'll see."

Kenneth was alone in the darkness when he awoke. He looked around and saw nothing. There was no studio in the garage, no Kelly Ann barking out orders, and there was no COLORBARS. In fact, there was no color what so ever.

He stood up and tried to get his barring, but he could not for he could not see. For a second, he thought he had gone blind.

"HELLO!" he shouted.

There was no answer. Instead, his voice echoed across the darkness causing loud vibrations to happen all over the place. Kenneth fell down to his knees and screamed. His voice echoed like a chamber filled with loud instruments. His voice sounded of his hatred of himself and the world. He thought of Stephanie and of Greg and how they were trying to help him. Yes, they were annoying, but they truly did care for him. He could see how selfish he was in trying to become someone he was not, and how it cost him everything.

"I can see your life is…. without me and…is more joyful…no I can't…thought did cross that…this way…this hellish cell…stayed…."

Is what he said under his breath. He felt compelled by the darkness to say this as if someone in the recesses of his mind was telling him this.

 _Well, Kenneth, you wanted to destroy the world, and this is what it cost you. You officially done it now. You are alone. Just like you always wanted to be. Ironic isn't it. That the one thing that I thought would bring me happiness instead brought me sadness. What have I done?_ Kenneth thought as he walked around in the darkness.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Kenneth screamed. "I have heard that God is supposed to be here at the time of death! The atheists were right! You don't exist! There is nothing here for me at the end! You know! For as long as I lived I longed for the perfect father! When I was a child and my father left, I wanted You to be Him! But like all fathers they end up abandoning you! Alive I was alone, and dead I shall be alone!"

Suddenly, the ground started to shake violently. Kenneth fell flat onto his face when it started to move. He tried to pick himself up, but failed too. He looked up and saw a shadow in the distance. He crawled over slowly. When he reached the shadow, he was able to pull himself up.

He stared at him, and tried to touch him. However, a sheet of glass separated Kenneth from the being. Kenneth placed his hand on the glass in hopes that the shadow would see him.

"Who are you?" he asked as the shadow began morphing.

First, it turned into a peaceful hippie, then it turned into a young female college student. Finally, it turned into a policeman. The shadow stared at Kenneth through the glass.

"Who are you?" Kenneth asked again.

Pain started coming from his wrists. He looked down and saw all of the scars he had made on his body from cutting. The scars began to bleed. The blood dripped upward and landed on the glass. It began forming one word.

 **Dachshund!**

"What are you doing here?" Kenneth asked.

"Looking for answers," the shadow replied.

"Can you help me?" Kenneth asked.

The shadow shook his head in despair.

"Why can't you help me?" Kenneth asked as he began to bang on the glass.

The glass shattered and the shadow morphed into something else. When Kenneth recovered, he was looking at an exact copy of himself. He took a few steps back as his reflection inspected him.

"Who are you?" Kenneth asked.

"I'm you," the reflection replied.

"I know that!" Kenneth stated. "From when or where?"

"I'm from a time when you didn't make such poor decisions," the reflection replied.

"Poor decisions?" Kenneth asked. "What are you talking about?"

"COLORBARS," the reflection replied.

"Oh! So, you are me if I did not create COLORBARS! I see!" Kenneth stated.

"You see what?" the reflection asked.

"You're here to guilt trip me into saying how I was wrong and how you are here to off me a second chance," Kenneth replied.

"Yes!" the reflection stated. "That is why I am here!"

"Well, I am not going to take it!" Kenneth stated.

"What?" the reflection asked. "Why not?"

"I don't deserve it, and I don't want it," Kenneth replied. "Just go ahead and damn me to hell!"

The reflection came over and smiled. It then slapped Kenneth across the face.

"We don't like to say things like that around here," the reflection replied.

"Ow!" Kenneth shouted. "Who do you think you are? God?"

The reflection slapped Kenneth again.

"The only person who can say that is God himself. I am flattered you think I am, but I am not. I am simply just a reflection of your good side. Call it your conscious if you will. I am here to help you make the right choice," the reflection replied.

"Do you think I care about the right choice?" Kenneth asked. "All I wanted was to become someone who I am not. All I wanted was to become a girl, and COLORBARS was going to help me accomplish that!"

"That's Kelly Ann talking inside you. She wants you to become a girl. She wants to take over your body because she is jealous of what you are. You are alive and she is not," the reflection replied.

"What are you talking about?" Kenneth asked.

"You don't know the truth about Kelly Ann," the reflection replied.

"She's my imaginary friend," Kenneth replied.

"She's more than that, Kenneth, she is your sister," the reflection replied.

"What?" Kenneth asked. "You're joking!"

"I am not," the reflection replied. "She is your sister."

"How?" Kenneth asked.

"I can't say, but there is someone who you should meet that will explain everything to you," the reflection replied.

"Who is he?" Kenneth asked.

"It's for me to know and for you to find out," the reflection replied. "All you have to do is take my hand and the answers will be all yours. What do you say?"

Kenneth hesitated. He wanted to know the truth about his so-called sister. On the other hand, Kenneth did not care what happened to her, and what she was capable of. Still, his curiosity got the better of him, and he agreed.

"I'll go," he replied.

"Great follow me," the reflection replied.

Suddenly, the room began to shake violently. Cracks started appearing through the darkness letting in even more darkness.

"What's happening?" Kenneth asked.

"It's coming!" the reflection replied.

"Who is coming?" Kenneth asked.

"It!" the reflection shouted.

"What's an IT?" Kenneth asked.

"That's an IT!" the reflection shouted.

Kenneth looked up and saw a creature wearing a tailored suit and bandage wrappings covering its face. It was wielding a metal bat. The bat came down and smashed the darkness letting ions of light through causing Kenneth to become partially blind.

"What's it doing?" Kenneth asked.

"Destroying your reality," the reflection replied.

"Why?" Kenneth asked.

"I don't know! All I know is if you're here when the reality is destroyed, then your destroyed with it! RUN!" the reflection ordered.

Both Kenneth and his reflection started running as shards of glass whipped past them. Kenneth dodged and weaved as huge chunks of metal came crashing down all around him. He stopped and turned around and saw the shadow of the policeman standing behind him.

"What about him?" Kenneth asked.

"That's the protagonist! Leave him!" his reflection ordered.

"Wait! If he's the protagonist! We can't leave him behind! We have to save him!" Kenneth shouted.

"He's not ready yet! He doesn't believe! Once he is ready then we will be able to save him!" the reflection stated.

The policeman's shadow began to fade away as the mirror came crashing down in front of them. Static began lining the walls as a doorway opened up in front of them.

"Jump in!" the reflection ordered.

Kenneth jumped in alongside his reflection just as the bat incinerated what was left of Kenneth's world. Kenneth closed his eyes and faded slowly into the darkness. The last thing he remembered was that he was falling…

Meanwhile, back inside the garage. Stephanie and Chris were busy fighting Kelly Ann, who was struggling to keep her form.

"You're both dead!" she shouted as she hurled chunks of debris at them.

Stephanie and Chris ducked behind and old tool work bench as debris chunks flew past them. Chris began signing to Stephanie because he did not want Kelly Ann to hear them.

"We have to shut off COLORBARS otherwise Kelly Ann still has control over everything," Chris replied.

"How do you think we shut it off?" Stephanie asked.

"This thing runs on power. If we shut off the power, we can destroy COLORBARS," Chris replied.

"…And how do we do that?" Stephanie asked. "The power station is across town, and everything is hooked up to the converter box which is being guarded by Kelly Ann."

"I'll distract her, you go and destroy that box!" Chris stated as he jumped up and lunged towards Kelly Ann.

"Hey! You're such a slut!" he shouted.

Kelly Ann attacked him giving Stephanie the chance she needed. She darted for the electrical box and opened it. She began turning all of the breakers off. Kelly Ann saw this and using a third hand, she slammed Stephanie into the box electrocuting her. She then pinned her and Chris against the wall.

"You think by unplugging a few breakers you would be able to stop COLORBARS! HA! Kenneth was the smart one and built an internal energy port. The only way to stop this is to destroy everything! …And I am not going to let that happen!" Kelly Ann stated as she threw the two of them across the room.

Chris was the first one to slam against the wall, followed by Stephanie. Chris crawled over to her and tried to move her before Kelly Ann attacked again. Kelly Ann approached and took hold of Chris's leg. She stepped on it, snapping the bone, causing Chris to let out a scream.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Stephanie ordered trying to get up.

Kelly Ann pinned Stephanie to the ground.

"I offered you a chance of happiness, and you turned around and spat it back in my face. You chose this future, now you have to live with the consequences." Kelly Ann replied.

Stephanie let out a laugh and she turned and faced Kelly Ann. "You know something funny. In the end, it was all worth it."

An evil scowl came over Kelly Ann as she picked both Chris and Stephanie up. Using a third hand, she picked up a camera and focused it onto herself.

"Sorry, for the interruption. We had some interlopers enter the studio and cause some mayhem. Not to worry, everything is under control. I have subdued the interlopers and now will proceed in putting them to death," Kelly Ann replied.

She slammed both Chris and Stephanie to the floor. Using cable wires, she successfully tied them both up.

"There deaths will be slow and painful. I will make them suffer for everything they did to me!" Kelly Ann stated.

"You won't get away with this!" Chris shouted while in tears from his broken leg.

"Yeah! Kenneth will stop you!" Stephanie stated.

"HA!" Kelly Ann laughed. "He hates you! If he survived the shock of his life, I doubt he will come and save you."

"You would be surprised at what Kenneth can do!" Stephanie stated.

Kelly Ann began to turn into static. She morphed in and out of shape until she completely changed into the creature. It then knocked Chris out with the bat it was holding in its third hand.

"Well, if he does come and try to save you, then I will put him out of his misery. He will not stand in my way! No one will stand in my way! Not Henry, not Nancy, not Kenneth, Not even the protagonist! I will kill them all!" the creature yelled.

The creature then took hold of Stephanie and placed the bat towards her head.

"Are you ready for the pain?" the creature asked.

"Kenneth will stop you…you will not win!" Stephanie stated.

"We'll see," the creature replied with a laugh as it brought the bat down upon Stephanie's head. Blood splattered onto the creature's bandaged covered face. It laughed.

It then brought the bat down again…and again…until it was satisfied.


End file.
